Researchers have found an entirely new type of 'good' fat made in the body could help prevent and treat diabetes.

The previously unidentified lipid molecules that increase insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control could be the latest weapon to tackle the type 2 diabetes epidemic.

Unlike omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish which are not made in mammals, the good fat named fatty acid hydroxyl fatty acids, or FAHFAs, are molecules found in fat cells as well as other cells throughout the body.

The protein Glut4m which moves to the cell surface to help transport glucose from the blood into the cell after a meal.

Scroll down for video

TYPES OF DIABETES Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin to function properly, or the body's cells don't react to insulin. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. Of the 29.1 million, 21.0 million were diagnosed, and 8.1 million were undiagnosed. Diabetes remains the 7th leading cause of death in the United States in 2010 The NHS estimates in England there are approximately 3.1 million people over 16 with diabetes but by 2030 the figure is expected to rise to 4.6 million, with nine out of ten sufferers having type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile-onset or insulin-dependent diabetes), accounts for 5 to 10 out of 100 people who have diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system destroys the cells that release, eventually eliminating insulin production from the body. Advertisement

'We were blown away to discover this completely new class of molecules,' Professor Barbara Kahn of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) said.

Professor Alan Saghatelian of Salk Institute said: 'Based on their biology, we can add FAHFAs to the small list of beneficial lipids.

'These lipids are amazing because they can also reduce inflammation, suggesting that we might discover opportunities for these molecules in inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as diabetes.'

The new findings, made by a team of scientists from and the Salk Institute, was published online in the journal Cell.

They now join a small group of fatty acids known to benefit health, which also include omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.

FAHFAs are actually produced and broken down inside the human body and Prof Kahn said 'This important feature gives FAHFAs an advantage in terms of therapeutic development because we can potentially modify the rate of production and breakdown throughout the body.

'Because we can measure FAHFA levels in blood, low levels may turn out to be an early marker for the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

'Consequently, if restoring FAHFA levels in insulin resistant individuals proves to be therapeutic, we may potentially be able to intervene before the development of frank diabetes.'

The discovery was made using mice have with elevated fatty acids, a sign of insulin resistance and glucose intolerance.

The study use mass spectrometry to study the fat molecules they discovered four groups that were elevated 16-18-fold in the insulin resistant mice, but not in the normal mice.

Further tests revealed that feeding the mice extra FAHFAs resulted in a rapid and dramatic drop in blood sugar and rise in insulin.

They also looked at FAHFA levels in human fat and plasma from people who were insulin resistant and at high risk for developing diabetes.

The FAHFA levels were found to be 50 to 75 per cent lower than levels in people with normal insulin sensitivity, suggesting that changes in FAHFA levels might be contributing to diabetes.

The team also identified GPR-120, the cellular receptor that FAHFAs bind to.

Prof Kahn said: 'When FAHFAs bind to GPR-120, they are able to control how much glucose is taken up into fat cells.

Unlike omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish, the good fat named fatty acid hydroxyl fatty acids, or FAHFAs, are molecules found in fat cells as well as other cells throughout the body. They now join a small group of fatty acids known to benefit health, which also include omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil.

'The receptor may also be responsible for the effects of the novel lipids to reduce widespread macrophage activation, which is associated with obesity and with inflammatory diseases.

'The discovery of FAHFAs provides important new insights underlying metabolic and inflammatory diseases, and, of critical importance, offers viable new treatment avenues that we hope to be able to test in clinical trials.