Researchers at Sinai Health have made important discoveries about how insulin levels after meals affect long-term heart and overall health.
This new research challenges the belief that a surge in insulin after eating is harmful. It may indicate good health in the future.
Dr. Ravi Retnakaran, a clinician-scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, part of Sinai Health, led the study. The goal was to understand how insulin levels after meals impact our heart and metabolic health over an extended period.
Normally, our insulin levels rise after we eat to help manage our blood sugar. The concern has been whether a rapid increase in insulin after a meal could be a bad sign.
Some think these insulin spikes, especially after eating carbs, lead to weight gain and insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance occurs when our body’s cells don’t respond well to insulin, making it harder to control blood sugar levels and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Retnakaran explained that some patients come to the clinic believing their insulin levels should not rise too much, possibly due to what they’ve read online or elsewhere. However, scientific evidence supporting this idea is not strong enough.
Most previous studies on this topic were either short-term or focused solely on insulin measurements, which can be misleading.
Dr. Retnakaran’s team aimed to address this issue by examining the long-term effects of insulin responses, considering baseline blood sugar levels. These levels vary from person to person and depend on their current blood sugar levels.
To conduct the study, the researchers followed new mothers. During pregnancy, these women experience insulin resistance, which makes it possible to predict their future risk of type 2 diabetes.
A total of 306 participants were recruited between 2003 and 2014 and underwent various tests, including glucose challenge tests, at one, three, and five years after giving birth. This test measures glucose and insulin levels after consuming a sugary drink after fasting.
Dr. Retnakaran emphasized that it’s not just about insulin levels but understanding them in relation to glucose levels.
Many previous interpretations of insulin levels fell short in this aspect. The corrected insulin response (CIR) is a better measurement, which considers baseline blood glucose levels.
The study revealed some surprising findings. When the CIR increased, there were negative effects on waist circumference, HDL (good cholesterol) levels, inflammation, and insulin resistance if other factors were not considered.
However, these seemingly negative trends were accompanied by better beta-cell function. Beta cells produce insulin and are closely linked to diabetes risk. The better the beta cell function, the lower the risk of diabetes.
Dr. Retnakaran stated, “Our findings do not support the idea that high post-challenge insulin levels are bad. Instead, a robust insulin response, once adjusted for glucose levels, is associated with positive metabolic effects.
It not only does not indicate bad health but predicts favorable metabolic function in the future.”
Some practitioners believe higher insulin levels are bad and recommend limiting insulin fluctuations after meals. However, Dr. Retnakaran emphasizes that it’s not that simple.
In the long run, higher CIR levels were associated with better beta-cell function and lower glucose levels, without affecting BMI, waist size, lipids, inflammation, or insulin sensitivity or resistance.
Most importantly, women with the highest CIR had a significantly lower risk of developing pre-diabetes or diabetes in the future.
Anne-Claude Gingras, Director of LTRI and Vice-President of Research at Sinai Health, noted,
“This research challenges the notion that high post-meal insulin levels are inherently bad and is an important step forward in our understanding of the complex roles insulin plays in regulating metabolism.”
Dr. Retnakaran hopes that these findings will reshape how medical professionals and the public perceive insulin’s role in metabolism and weight management.
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The research findings can be found in eClinicalMedicine.
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