Not all trans fats are the same — some dairy fats lower diabetes risk, one dairy fat raises it, and artificial trans fats don’t seem to matter at all. What matters most is the exact molecular shape, not whether it’s natural or artificial.

A fat called trans-palmitoleic acid was once thought to protect against diabetes, but when scientists accounted for other similar fats in dairy, the link disappeared — meaning the earlier belief was probably wrong.

The artificial trans fats found in fried foods and margarine don’t seem to raise the risk of type 2 diabetes when looked at on their own, which surprises many people who think all trans fats are bad.

A different type of fat found in dairy called c9t11-CLA is linked to a higher chance of getting type 2 diabetes, which is surprising because other dairy fats are usually thought to be harmless or even helpful.

Some studies suggest that the natural trans fats found in milk and meat might not raise heart disease risk the same way that artificial trans fats in fried and baked foods do.

Some types of saturated fat in your blood—especially from processed carbs—are linked to higher diabetes risk, while others from dairy are linked to lower risk.