People who live high in the mountains have long puzzled scientists.
Despite harsh conditions and low oxygen levels, they tend to have lower rates of diabetes than those living at sea level.
Now researchers believe they have uncovered a surprising reason: red blood cells may act like tiny “sponges,” soaking up sugar from the bloodstream when oxygen is scarce.
In a new study published in Cell Metabolism, scientists from the Gladstone Institutes discovered that under low-oxygen conditions — such as those found at high altitude — red blood cells change the way they function.
Instead of simply carrying oxygen, they begin absorbing more glucose, the sugar circulating in the blood. This reduces overall blood sugar levels, which could lower the risk of diabetes.
The discovery solves a long-standing mystery about how the body adapts to thin air.
Lead researcher Dr. Isha Jain explains that scientists had noticed the protective effect of high altitude for years but did not understand the biological mechanism behind it.
Her team’s findings suggest that red blood cells play a much more active role in metabolism than previously believed.
The research began when scientists observed that mice breathing low-oxygen air had dramatically lower blood sugar after eating. The sugar seemed to vanish from their bloodstream unusually quickly. When researchers checked major organs such as the liver, muscles, and brain — which normally use glucose — none could explain where it had gone.
Using advanced imaging techniques, the team found the missing destination: the red blood cells themselves. In low-oxygen conditions, the body produces more of these cells, and each one absorbs extra glucose. Scientists had long considered red blood cells to be simple oxygen carriers, but the new findings reveal they can consume a significant amount of sugar, especially when oxygen levels drop.
The absorbed glucose helps the cells produce a molecule that improves their ability to release oxygen to tissues. This is crucial when oxygen is limited, allowing the body to function more efficiently at high altitude. Lower blood sugar appears to be a beneficial side effect of this survival strategy.
The researchers also tested a new experimental drug designed to mimic the effects of low oxygen. The pill, called HypoxyStat, changes how hemoglobin — the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen — binds to oxygen. By keeping oxygen attached to hemoglobin longer, it triggers the same metabolic changes seen at high altitude. In diabetic mice, the drug dramatically lowered blood sugar levels, even outperforming some existing treatments.
Encouragingly, the benefits of low oxygen exposure lasted weeks or months after the mice returned to normal air. This suggests the body’s adaptations may have long-lasting effects.
Scientists say the discovery could lead to entirely new approaches for treating diabetes by harnessing the glucose-absorbing power of red blood cells. It may also have implications for athletic performance and recovery after injuries, where oxygen supply and metabolism play important roles.
Although the research is still in early stages and has not yet been tested in people, it highlights how much remains unknown about the body’s response to oxygen levels. What began as a mountain mystery has opened a new path toward understanding blood sugar control — and possibly preventing diabetes in the future.
For now, the findings offer a striking reminder that even the simplest cells in our bodies may hold unexpected secrets for improving health.
Source: KSR.
