In a number of large-scale studies, regular ice cream consumption was unexpectedly found to be associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes; however, scientists caution that this is a statistical association rather than a proven protective effect of the product, according to SciTechDaily, citing research on dairy products and metabolic health.
Ice cream is not typically considered a disease-preventive food due to its sugar, saturated fat, and calorie content. Nevertheless, in several large observational studies of dairy products, researchers discovered an unexpected finding: in certain groups, people who ate ice cream more frequently were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
One of the earliest indications emerged from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which included more than 41,000 men. The published study focused primarily on the association between low-fat dairy products and the risk of diabetes; however, in the data on individual products, ice cream also showed an unexpected inverse association with the disease.
Later, in a 2014 study published in BMC Medicine, researchers analyzed three large U.S. cohorts: 41,436 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 67,138 women from the Nurses’ Health Study, and 85,884 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II. Over nearly 4 million person-years of follow-up, 15,156 cases of type 2 diabetes were recorded.
The main conclusion of this study was more conservative: total dairy intake was not significantly associated with the risk of diabetes, whereas yogurt showed a consistent inverse association. In a meta-analysis of 14 prospective cohorts with 459,790 participants and 35,863 cases of diabetes, a daily serving of yogurt was associated with an approximately 18% reduction in the risk of diabetes.
Furthermore, in a subgroup analysis of individual dairy products, ice cream also demonstrated a statistically significant inverse association with the risk of diabetes.
The researchers emphasize that these findings should not be interpreted as a recommendation to eat ice cream to prevent diabetes. The most likely explanation is reverse causality: people with early signs of metabolic problems, excess weight, or high cholesterol may, on the advice of doctors, cut back on sweets, including ice cream. As a result, there may be more relatively healthy people among those who continue to eat ice cream.
Another possible explanation is errors in dietary questionnaires. Observational studies are often based on self-reports, and people may inaccurately report their consumption of foods considered “unhealthy.” This can distort the statistical association between diet and disease.
Some researchers also suggest that part of the effect may be related to the characteristics of milk fats and proteins, ice cream’s lower glycemic index compared to some other carbohydrate-rich foods, and the structure of milk fat. However, these hypotheses do not yet provide grounds for considering ice cream a protective food.
For the food industry and the dairy market, such studies are important not as an endorsement of ice cream, but as a reminder of the complexity of evaluating food products. The same product can have different effects depending on its composition, portion size, frequency of consumption, overall diet, body weight, level of physical activity, and an individual’s health status.
Nutrition experts continue to recommend limiting foods high in added sugars and saturated fats. Ice cream can remain part of a healthy diet as a dessert in moderate amounts, but the available data do not prove that consuming it reduces the risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Thus, the scientific debate surrounding ice cream remains unresolved.
In the winter of 2025, Vertex Pharmaceuticals presented the results of the first large-scale study (phase I/II) of zimislecel (formerly VX-880), a stem cell-based drug. This experimental treatment aims to restore the cells of the islets of Langerhans in the liver of patients.
The trial involved 14 patients with severe type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemia detection disorders. All participants received a single infusion of zimislecel into the hepatic vein and initial immunosuppressive therapy without glucocorticoids. According to data from one year, 10 out of 12 completely stopped insulin injections, becoming insulin-independent, while the remaining two patients reduced their insulin dose by 92% on average. All participants normalized their HbA1c levels (<7%) and spent more than 70% of their time in the glycemic range of 70-180 mg/dL.
Side effects:
• Neutropenia was observed in 3 patients;
• Two fatalities were recorded: one from cryptococcal meningitis (off-protocol), the other from severe cognitive pathology unrelated to treatment.
The discontinuation of insulin therapy in 83% of participants is a very significant achievement, indicating the possibility of restoring endogenous insulin secretion. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) called the data “unprecedented” after three stages of presentation at the ADA-2025 conference in Chicago.
However, it should be noted that the study was small (12–14 participants) and short (12 months); large-scale control experience is needed. Data on long-term efficacy, safety, and commercial affordability are not yet known.
Phase III has now begun, with approximately 50 patients expected to participate. The next results are expected at the end of the year, after which the FDA application process will begin.
The drug is positioned as a breakthrough “functional remission” for a group of patients with severe diabetes and a tendency to hypoglycemic events. If its effectiveness is fully confirmed, it will be a global revolution in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
Ukraine lacks a system of providing palliative care to elderly patients with diabetes, says Nataliya Kozhan, executive director of the Ukrainian Diabetes Federation.
“In our country, unfortunately, at present, practically no attention is paid to the provision of palliative care for this category of patients. I very often encounter such patients, working at the Department of Palliative and Hospice Medicine at the Shupyk University. Shupyk, and I hear from patients that medical workers and doctors, even with a severe course of diabetes and with a high level of pain, do not offer measures of palliative care,” she said during a round table in Kiev.
At the same time, Kozhan emphasized that “unfortunately, to date, there are no recommendations from the WHO on the provision of such care.”
“We do not have clinical protocols for providing this care, but it should be dealt with,” she said.
