Insulin News and Research

RSS

Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert glucose, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Insulin allows cells to use glucose for fuel and is secreted by beta cells in the islets of Langerhans. The release of insulin from the pancreas is stimulated by increased blood glucose, vagal nerve stimulation, and other factors. Insulin is obtained from various animals and available in a variety of preparations. Commercial insulin preparations differ in a number of ways, including differences in the animal species from which they are obtained; their purity, concentration, and solubility; and the time of onset and duration of their biologic action. An oral hypoglycemic agent is not a form of insulin therapy.

Researchers discover a surprising ally in the fight against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

An international research team led by Professor Marc-Emmanuel Dumas at Imperial College London & CNRS together with Prof. Patrice Cani (Imperial & University of Louvain, UCLouvain), Dr. Dominique Gauguier (Imperial & INSERM, Paris) and Prof. Peter Liu (University of Ottawa Heart Institute) has uncovered a surprising ally in the fight against insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes: a microbial metabolite called trimethylamine (TMA).

8 Dec 2025

Early exposure to fat-related food smells increases lifelong obesity risk

Early exposure to fat-related food odors during development alters central sensory processing and metabolic regulation, independently of maternal obesity or nutrient intake. These sensory cues program long-term susceptibility to obesity, impaired thermogenesis, and altered brain responses to dietary fat in adulthood.

7 Dec 2025

Higher PFAS levels reduce blood sugar improvements after teen bariatric surgery

A new USC study shows teens with higher blood levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) measured before bariatric surgery had smaller improvements in blood sugar over five years, including fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), which measures average blood sugar levels over the past 60-90 days.

4 Dec 2025

Why soybean oil may fuel weight gain

Researchers investigate how soybean oil may disrupt fat metabolism to potentially increase the risk of obesity.

4 Dec 2025

Study opens up new perspectives for targeted care of women with gestational diabetes

An international research team led by the Medical University of Vienna has shown that continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in women with gestational diabetes can reduce the risk of a newborn with above-average birth weight.

4 Dec 2025

Study finds link between Pg-induced periapical disease and systemic metabolic dysfunction

New study examines the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and suggests its influence may extend beyond dental tissues.

3 Dec 2025

Maternal exposure to fatty food aromas predisposes offspring to obesity

A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research has found that the smell of fatty foods during pregnancy increases the risk of overweight and obesity in children.

1 Dec 2025

Why green tea delivers the strongest health benefits

This review examines tea's health effects, highlighting green tea's benefits for heart health and cognition, and warns about risks in processed tea products.

1 Dec 2025

Mediterranean diet benefits identified by SPARC levels

A new study published in Life Metabolism reports that a single post-meal blood biomarker, 1-hour postprandial SPARC (SPARC-1H), can predict who will benefit most from adopting a Mediterranean diet.

29 Nov 2025

Fanconi anemia patients show striking metabolic differences

Experts at Cincinnati Children's have uncovered striking metabolic differences in people with Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare genetic disorder that causes bone marrow failure and dramatically increases cancer risk.

29 Nov 2025

How the gut microbiome links obesity to colorectal cancer

The gut microbiome serves as both a biomarker and therapeutic target in diseases like obesity, metabolic syndrome, and colorectal cancer.

28 Nov 2025

Regenerative medicine offers a pathway toward curing type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the specific destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells.

26 Nov 2025

Metformin fails to improve insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes

Metformin treatment in type 1 diabetes lowers insulin dosage but does not improve insulin resistance, highlighting its complex role in diabetes management.

26 Nov 2025

Obesity-related metabolic stress may affect brain health far earlier than expected

For decades, scientists have known that what harms the body often harms the brain. Conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and insulin resistance strain the body's vascular and metabolic systems.

25 Nov 2025

New skin-permeable polymer delivers insulin without needles

Innovative zwitterionic polymer facilitates insulin absorption through the skin, offering a painless alternative to injections for diabetes management.

25 Nov 2025

Sex-specific changes in gluteus maximus shape linked to aging and metabolic health

The shape of the gluteus maximus muscle in the buttocks changes in different ways with aging, lifestyle, frailty, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes, and these changes differ between women and men, according to new research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

25 Nov 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to rise in prediabetes risk

The study reveals that ultra-processed foods heighten prediabetes risk in young adults with obesity history, stressing the importance of healthy eating habits.

25 Nov 2025

Study reveals metabolic benefits of reducing ultra-processed foods in older adults

A controlled feeding study out of South Dakota State University shows that older adults who ate fewer ultra-processed foods naturally consumed fewer calories, lost weight and abdominal fat, and showed improvements in insulin, nutrient-sensing hormones, and inflammation.

24 Nov 2025

Black cumin: A promising natural agent with potential against chronic diseases

Black cumin seeds contain diverse secondary metabolites, including thymoquinone, flavonoids, triterpenoids and alkaloids, that demonstrate broad antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity. Early preclinical and limited clinical evidence shows therapeutic potential across chronic diseases, supported by mechanistic and structure activity relationship findings.

24 Nov 2025

Vegan diet with unhealthy plant foods promotes greater weight loss than Mediterranean diet

Eating a vegan diet increases consumption of plant-based foods-including those defined as "unhealthy" by the plant-based diet index-leading to greater weight loss than the Mediterranean diet, finds a new analysis by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in Frontiers in Nutrition.

24 Nov 2025