THIS popular diet can result in permanent pancreatic damage, experts reveal

What you eat plays a crucial role in your overall health. The importance of a well-balanced and nutritious diet cannot be stressed enough. A new study suggests that one globally popular eating pattern might be doing more harm than good. The researchers found that this popular diet could damage the pancreas, and it is irreversible.

The researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute have found that the Western diet, which is high in fat, sugar, and processed foods, can cause permanent damage to the pancreas. The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. According to the study, the damage is irreversible, even after the participants switched to a healthier lifestyle and lost weight. The findings have raised serious concerns about how deeply dietary habits can affect the body at a cellular level.

The researchers found that a long-term Western diet impairs islet blood vessel function and insulin transport. The study found that obesogenic diet–induced damage to the blood vessels of pancreatic islets may be permanent.

Pancreatic islets, also known as islets of Langerhans, are microorgans responsible for detecting blood glucose and releasing hormones, including insulin, which controls blood sugar levels. The dense and fenestrated blood vessels within the islets act as gateways to ensure optimal glucose sensing and hormone secretion. The researchers transplanted pancreatic islets into the eyes of mice using advanced imaging techniques. They observed the changes in islet blood vessels for over 48 weeks. They found that the mice were fed a Western diet developed progressive islet vessel abnormalities and desensitization to VEGF-A, a key molecule controlling blood vessel morphology and function.

Dr. Yan Xiong, researcher at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet and first author of this study, explains, “This desensitization hindered the proper regulation of islet blood flow and vessel barrier function, delaying the release of insulin into the bloodstream during glucose challenges.”

The researchers found that when the mice were switched back to a healthy control diet after 24 weeks, some metabolic abnormalities reversed; however, the structural and functional impairments in the islet blood vessels remained, which undermined glucose metabolism.

“This study reveals that islet vessel dysfunction is a hidden but significant contributor to glucose intolerance in obesity, and that these defects may become permanent if not addressed early. Understanding islet vessel pathology opens up new therapeutic opportunities aimed at preserving islet vascular health in metabolic diseases,” Professor Per-Olof Berggren, senior author of the study, added.