Ceramides—Blood lipids provide new insights into the link between diet and diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are preceded by metabolic alterations. A current study by the DZD and DIfE indicates that specific lipid molecules (ceramides), which are produced when the body metabolizes fats, are involved in the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The study also establishes a link between an unhealthy diet and unfavorable ceramide levels in the blood. This could explain, for example, why the risk of diabetes increases with frequent consumption of red and processed meat. As potential biomarkers, ceramides could enable more precise dietary approaches for the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases. The results of the study have now been published in Nature Communications.