Research shows how insulin-triggering nutrients vary from person to person, with implications for personalized nutrition

Key Takeaways

• New research suggests that for some people, considering protein and fat intake may be just as important as monitoring carbohydrate intake for managing blood sugar levels.
• The findings may lay the groundwork for personalized nutritional guidance.

When it comes to managing blood sugar levels, most people think about counting carbs. But new research from the University of British Columbia shows that, for some, it may be just as important to consider the proteins and fats in their diet. The study, published in Cell Metabolism, is the first large-scale comparison of how different people produce insulin in response to each of the three macronutrients: carbohydrates (glucose), proteins (amino acids) and fats (fatty acids). The findings reveal that production of the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin is much more dynamic and individualized than previously thought, while showing for the first time a subset of the population who are hyper-responsive to fatty foods.

For the study, the researchers conducted tests on pancreatic islets, cells that produce hormones that regulate blood sugar, from 140 deceased male and female donors across a wide age range. The islets were exposed to each of the three macronutrients, while the researchers measured the insulin response alongside 8,000 other proteins.

Although most donors’ islet cells had the strongest insulin response to carbohydrates, approximately 9% responded strongly to proteins, while another 8% of the donor cells were more responsive to fats than any other nutrient—even glucose. “This research challenges the long-held belief that fats have negligible effects on insulin release in everyone,” says first author Dr. Jelena Kolic. 

The research team also examined a subset of islet cells from donors who had type 2 diabetes. As expected, these donor cells had a low insulin response to glucose. However, the researchers were surprised to see that their insulin response to proteins remained largely intact. “This really bolsters the case that protein-rich diets could have therapeutic benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes and highlights the need for further research into protein-stimulated insulin secretion,” said Dr. Kolic.

In the future, the researchers say it could be possible to use genetic testing to determine which macronutrients are likely to trigger a person’s insulin response. As a next step, the researchers hope to expand their work into clinical studies that would test insulin responsiveness to the trio of macronutrients in a real-world setting, and to begin developing personalized nutrition approaches based on the findings.

Edited by Miriam Kaplan, PhD

Source:

University of British Columbia, Medical Xpress, July 2, 2024; see source article