Taking aspirin and aspirin-like compounds called salicylates can help obese people produce insulin and potentially stave off diabetes, finds a new study.

Previous studies have shown that aspirin can decrease blood sugar in diabetics. New research conducted by Spanish researchers finds that healthy obese people who take aspirin actually increase their levels of insulin, reducing the chance of developing insulin resistance. During insulin resistance, the body produces too little of the hormone and fails to effectively regulate the metabolism of fats, proteins and sugars.

Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes.

Researchers studied the effects of triflusal, a salicylate, on 28 participants with an average age of 48. The men and women were all obese, with an average body mass index of 33.9.

They administered a 600 milligram dose of triflusal, a 900 milligram dose or a placebo to groups of the participants. They found that the higher the dose of salicylate, the lower the level of blood sugar and the higher the level of insulin in the participants' bloodstreams.

Insulin sensitivity did not change.

"Aspirin therapy has been recognized to improve glucose tolerance and to reduce insulin requirements in diabetic subjects," said Jose-Manuel Fernandez-Real, lead author of the study, in a release. "To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that salicylates lowered serum glucose in non-diabetic obese subjects."

He says the study results could lead to new treatment options for diabetics. “These findings highlight the importance of further research on the possible therapeutic benefit of aspirin in the fight against Type 2 diabetes.”

The study will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.