Do carbs produce a greater insulin response than fat or protein?
- Carbohydrate consumption has long been known to affect blood sugar levels, which causes the pancreatic cells to release more insulin than other nutrients.
- New laboratory research now suggests that people may show a unique insulin response to different nutrients, with some showing a greater response to protein or fat.
- It is not clear whether the findings translate to living people, but experts are hopeful that further clinical research will improve nutritional strategies for controlling blood sugar.
An empirical study published in
This study examined insulin responses in pancreatic islets from deceased human donors with and without type 2 diabetes, as well as pancreatic islets derived from tissue.
Pancreatic islets are small groups of pancreatic cells, including beta cells, that are important in regulating blood sugar levels by producing hormones such as insulin and glucagon in response to nutrient intake.
It has long been understood that carbohydrates contribute significantly to blood sugar levels, causing insulin to be released, while proteins have a moderate effect, and fats have a less immediate impact.
However, this study suggests that insulin production in response to nutrients may be more complex and individual than previously believed.
For the first time, researchers found human pancreatic islet cells that show greater insulin responses to protein or fat than to carbohydrates.
Although lab studies on pancreatic islets may not translate directly to living people, the findings may greatly influence future nutritional strategies for better blood sugar control, ultimately improving health outcomes. beauty.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have studied how human pancreatic islets produce insulin in response to different nutrients.
Between 2016 and 2022, researchers examined pancreatic islets from 140 deceased donors of various ages, including those with type 2 diabetes.
They exposed the islets to glucose (carbohydrates), amino acids (proteins), and fatty acids (fats) while measuring insulin production.
The researchers also analyzed genetic changes in pancreatic cells from donors with and without type 2 diabetes to understand their effect on insulin production.
To use
Based on current understanding, most donor islets have shown a strong insulin response to glucose, a moderate response to amino acids, and a small response to fatty acids.
As expected, compared to islets from donors without diabetes, islets from donors with type 2 diabetes had fewer insulin-producing beta cells. insulin, delayed peak insulin action due to high glucose, and low insulin response to glucose in general.
Although most of the findings were expected, there were surprising results.
About 9% of donor pancreatic islets responded more strongly to protein than carbohydrates, and 8% responded more strongly to fat.
The islets that processed the protein mostly came from donors with type 2 diabetes but had the same long-term blood sugar levels (as measured by HbA1c) than the others. However, this higher protein response was linked to longer lab culture times.
On the other hand, islets that processed fat were more likely to come from donors with poor HbA1c levels but were similar to other donors. The researchers suggest that this response to fat may be due to the underdevelopment of beta cells, as seen in islet cells derived from stem cells.
While examining the source of the differences, they compared the characteristics of the donors and found no differences based on body mass (BMI) or age. However, they did see sex differences in insulin responses.
Specifically, compared to men, the islets of insulin-producing women produced less insulin due to moderate glucose exposure, meaning their cells were less efficient at producing insulin.
This may be due to known gender differences in diabetes, but the reasons are not yet known.
Overall, the results show that the insulin response to different nutrients can vary from person to person. However, the authors note that it is unclear whether this difference is actually due to natural differences in pancreatic islet cell responses or if adaptation to laboratory conditions caused the differences.
Importantly, they did not observe the same level of different responses to different macronutrients in the pancreatic islets of men and women of different ages. This may support the idea that laboratory conditions may have affected the response of human islets.
Medical News Today spoke with Jason Fung, MD, physician and New York Times bestselling author of The Obesity Code and The Diabetes Code, who was not involved in the study.
Commenting on the potential importance of living people, Fung said, «Dead donors are considered to be reflective of the general population. It’s a reasonable idea, but it’s not necessarily true.»
Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS, physician-scientist and assistant professor at the RUSH Center for Healthy Aging, RUSH University, College of Health Sciences, who was not involved in the study, provided additional information.
«[T]Research findings from pancreatic islets of deceased donors provide very important information about insulin production in response to different macronutrients. [but] there are limitations when translating these findings directly to living people,» he said MNT.
The physiological environment, including factors such as blood flow, hormone levels for signaling, and nervous system interactions, can affect insulin response and may differ from the «partial» environment of beta cells. -islet. Although research highlights individual differences, living people experience other lifestyle influences such as diet, stress, and exercise that can improve our insulin responses.
– Thomas M. Holland, MD, MS
«Furthermore, deceased donors may not represent healthy individuals, especially if they had medical conditions that could affect pancreatic function,» he said.
The study authors, too, acknowledged limitations in applying their findings, such as the lack of reliable screening for type 2 diabetes in organ donors and the absence of human clinical trials. to support their findings.
They hope that their research will inspire clinical studies involving larger and more diverse groups, improving the applicability of their results in real-world settings.
«The findings of this study pave the way for a more structured nutrition plan for the treatment of diabetes,» said Sheri Gaw, RDN, CDCES, registered dietitian, diabetes care specialist. sugar and education, and owner of The Plant Strong Dietitian. , who was not involved in the study.
Fung also stressed that the findings of this study could be very important for food choices.
“Insulin can cause weight gain, and for many people, cutting out refined carbohydrates is a great way to reduce insulin and lose weight. But for some people, eating a low-fat diet may be more beneficial,» he explained.
The authors of the study, on the other hand, suggested that a diet high in protein may help people with type 2 diabetes based on their findings. However, they stressed the need for more research.
Finally, «the traditional diet of diabetes focuses on controlling carbohydrates, based on the strong relationship between glucose and insulin secretion, especially refined grains and sugar,» but this study suggests a need for individual methods based on individual insulin responses to different macronutrients. Holland.
«The difference is largely genetic, as shown by the study,» Fung agreed.
Until now, Gaw said, «In the future, there may be genetic tests that a doctor can use to find the best macronutrient ratio for a person’s insulin response.» .»
In the meantime, Holland advises individuals to follow suit
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