US researchers dispute the idea that insulin rises after meals, especially carbs, cause weight gain and insulin resistance. Higher CIR levels were connected to better beta-cell activity, lower glucose levels, and a lower risk of diabetes.
A new US study challenged the idea that a rise in insulin levels after meals, especially carbs, is unhealthy. This prevalent belief holds that insulin spikes cause weight gain and insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes and blood sugar management issues.
In contrast, Sinai Health researchers lead by Dr. Ravi Retnakaran from the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute found that the insulin increase may indicate good health. Previous research on this topic included constraints such short durations or insufficient insulin readings, which could lead to erroneous conclusions.
Dr. Retnakaran says, “Our findings do not support the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity.” In the eClinicalMedicine research of 306 new moms, insulin resistance during pregnancy was utilized to predict Type 2 diabetes risk.
The study team established corrected insulin response (CIR), which accounts for baseline blood glucose. Despite negative changes in waist circumference, HDL (good cholesterol), inflammation, and insulin resistance, beta-cell activity improved. Beta cells create insulin, and their excellent function reduces diabetes risk.
Amazingly, increased CIR levels improved beta-cell activity and lowered glucose levels over time. The researchers found that women with the highest CIR had a considerably lower probability of getting pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Dr. Retnakaran hopes these discoveries will change medical experts’ and the public’s view of insulin’s involvement in metabolism and weight management. The work challenges the traditional understanding about post-meal insulin spikes and suggests a more complex relationship between insulin response, metabolic health, and diabetes risk.
Conclusion
US researchers have questioned the idea that a rise in insulin levels after meals, especially carbs, is unhealthy. Dr. Ravi Retnakaran of Sinai Health observed that the surge may indicate good health. The researchers suggest that previous studies on this topic had constraints including short durations or insufficient insulin readings, which could have led to erroneous conclusions. The eClinicalMedicine study examined 306 new mothers and introduced corrected insulin response (CIR), which accounts for baseline blood glucose levels. Over time, increased CIR levels improved beta-cell activity and lowered glucose. High CIR women had a considerably lower risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes.
