A notable rise in blood insulin after eating may help shield against type 2 diabetes. This finding appears in an article published in the journal eClinicalMedicine.
Normally, insulin levels climb after a meal in response to higher blood sugar. Some clinicians and researchers have long argued that increased insulin—particularly after carbohydrate intake—could contribute to weight gain, lower insulin sensitivity, and the development of type 2 diabetes. A new study challenges that view: actually, higher post-meal insulin rises are linked with a reduced risk of diabetes.
The study followed 306 pregnant women from 2003 to 2014. They underwent thorough evaluations at one, three, and five years after delivery. A glucose tolerance test was also performed as part of the assessment, with sugar and insulin measured at several time points after the participants drank a 75-gram glucose solution.
Analyses indicated that pancreatic beta cells functioned more effectively in individuals who exhibited the largest insulin spikes after meals. These cells are responsible for producing insulin, and their robust activity appears to correlate with a lower diabetes risk.
“This work questions the idea that high postprandial insulin levels are inherently harmful and marks a meaningful advance in our understanding of insulin’s intricate role in metabolic regulation,” noted the researchers.
In prior discussions, clinicians explored ways to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients. The current findings suggest that post-meal insulin responses may play a more nuanced role in health outcomes than previously thought, with potential implications for how glucose and insulin dynamics are managed in pregnancy and beyond.