A diet rich in omega-6 fats, found in bean and seed oils, can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, scientists have said.

Researchers discovered “striking evidence” of the link, which showed a 35 per cent level of protection in people with the most omega-6 in their blood.

This was despite recent concerns the fatty acid may trigger inflammation, leading to an increased risk of chronic diseases.

Lead author Jason Wu, from The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia, said: “Some scientists have theorised that omega-6 is harmful to health. Based on this large global study, we have demonstrated little evidence for harms, and indeed found that the major omega-6 fat is linked to lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

“Our findings suggest that a simple change in diet might protect people from developing type 2 diabetes which has reached alarming levels around the world.”

The scientists analysed data from 20 studies that recruited 39,740 adults from 10 countries. Among the participants, a total of 4,347 were newly-diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Blood tests showed one key omega-6 fat – linoleic acid – was strongly associated with lower diabetes risk. Compared with people who had the lowest levels of linoleic acid in their blood, those with the highest levels were 35 per cent less likely to develop the disease.

Co-author Dariush Mozaffarian, from Tufts University in Massachusetts, the US, said: “This is striking evidence.

“The people involved in the study were generally healthy and were not given specific guidance on what to eat.

“Yet those who had the highest levels of blood omega-6 markers had a much lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes.”

Linoleic acid is not formed in the body and can only be obtained from diet. Foods and oils that contain high levels of linoleic acid include include flaxseed, canola, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, tofu and walnuts.