I always find that as soon as you hear one health story, another immediately comes out to complicate the picture. Sigh. Here's an example: One of the big diabetes-related stories in the news this past week has been a study that indicated a vegan (meat and dairy-free) diet could be beneficial for diabetics. Today, however, I read that another study indicates certain compounds in dairy products could be used to fight diabetes. Experiments conducted at Pennsylvania State University showed that fatty acids contained in dairy products were helpful in treating diabetes in mice. The acids - conjugated linoleic acids - are expected to help out human diabetics as well, although more experiments will be necessary to determine this for sure.

The researchers who conducted the experiment say these naturally occurring fatty acids could be used in treatments and have the same beneficial effects as synthetic drugs, which many people wish to avoid taking. On the other hand, they don't recommend switching to a high-dairy diet - balance is still best. Interesting, huh? To read more, check out this story on Penn State's website.