New research suggests that the consumption of high-fat yogurt and cheese are linked to a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the University of Sweden found that high-fat dairy products could reduce type 2 diabetes risk by as much as a fifth. High meat consumption, on the other hand, is linked to a higher risk.

"Those who ate the most high-fat dairy products had a 23 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least. High meat consumption was linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes regardless of the fat content of the meat," Ulrika Ericson, who conducted the study, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers examined the eating habits of 27,000 individuals aged 45 to 74. The participants took part in the Malmö Diet and Cancer study in the early 1990s, in which they provided details of their eating habits. Twenty years on, over ten per cent -- 2 860 people -- had developed type 2 diabetes.

Both meat and dairy products contain saturated fat, but certain saturated fatty acids are particularly common in dairy products. Researchers believe this difference could be one of the reasons why most studies show that those who eat meat are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas those who eat a lot of dairy products appear to have a lower risk.

"When we investigated the consumption of saturated fatty acids that are slightly more common in dairy products than in meat, we observed a link with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. However, we have not ruled out the possibility that other components of dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese may have contributed to our results. We have taken into account many dietary and lifestyle factors in our analysis, such as fermentation, calcium, vitamin D and physical activity," Ericson said.

However, there may be other factors that we have not been able to measure that are shared by those who eat large quantities of high-fat dairy products. Moreover, different food components can interact with each other. For example, in one study, saturated fat in cheese appeared to have less of a cholesterol-raising effect than saturated fat in butter.

The findings, which are detailed in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that people
"should not focus solely on fat, but rather consider what foods we eat. Many foodstuffs contain different components that are harmful or beneficial to health, and it is the overall balance that is important," Ericson explained.