Sunday 5 November 2017

Bears not bothered by diet high in saturated fats


Grizzlies show no clinical signs of disease following short-term consumption of saturated fats but scientists question long-term health

Date:  October 30, 2017
Source:  Canadian Science Publishing

Campgrounds and cottages are getaways for humans. They are also locations where grizzly bears are acquiring appetites for human foods that are high in saturated fats. Diets high in saturated fats are associated with many diseases in humans. Does the health of a bear suffer too?

A new study published today in the Canadian Journal of Zoology found that captive bears fed a diet high in saturated fats and low in "healthy" polyunsaturated fats did not show symptoms of disease typically observed in humans eating foods high in saturated fats such as insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Researchers from Washington State University (WSU) fed adult bears one of two diets prior to hibernation, one high in polyunsaturated fats with oats and salmon and the other high in saturated fats containing beef and cheese. The bears fed from May to the end of October and then hibernated over winter. In spring when they woke it was time for a health check-up.


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