Insulin News and Research

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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.

Evening chronotype links later eating with higher body fat

Research shows evening chronotypes in women consume more energy later, leading to higher body fat and metabolic issues, highlighting chrono-nutrition's role.

16 Jul 2026

Weight loss drugs may reduce binge eating disorder symptoms

Drugs commonly used for weight loss, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, have been found to reduce the key symptoms of binge eating disorder, in a new review of evidence led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

15 Jul 2026

Experts recommend renaming PCOS to better reflect whole-body impacts

A condition affecting approximately 170 million adolescents and women worldwide has a new name – one that better reflects its complexity and far-reaching health impacts.

15 Jul 2026

Bile acid buildup linked to aggressive breast cancer progression

A buildup of bile acids caused by an unhealthy gut can drive breast cancer to other parts of the body, new University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center research reveals.

15 Jul 2026

Lactoferrin yogurt helps preserve iron stores in women with gestational diabetes

In a double-blind pilot trial, lactoferrin-enriched yogurt added to routine iron supplementation helped prevent ferritin decline in pregnant women with gestational diabetes and reduced iron stores. The intervention was well tolerated and produced modest changes in selected gut bacteria, but did not significantly improve anemia or metabolic outcomes.

15 Jul 2026

Breast and prostate cancer survival worsens with metabolic syndrome

A SEER-Medicare analysis of more than 200,000 adults aged 66 and older found that metabolic syndrome was associated with about twice the adjusted hazard of death from any cause after breast or prostate cancer. The condition was also linked to higher cancer-specific, cardiovascular-specific, and liver-failure-specific mortality, although the observational design prevents causal conclusions.

14 Jul 2026

Mitochondrial DNA mutations link to cardiometabolic parameters in metabolic syndrome

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability, especially heteroplasmy, is believed to affect cellular immunobiogenesis, particularly in monocytes in metabolic syndrome (MetS).

14 Jul 2026

Researchers propose simple finger prick test to track metabolic health

Researchers writing in Frontiers in Science propose using simple tests to track metabolic health in non-communicable diseases, which cause three in four deaths worldwide.

14 Jul 2026

Muscle health plays crucial role in diabetes risk, study finds

A major new international study led by Curtin University, has found diabetes risk is about more than just body weight or obesity, revealing muscle health also likely plays a big role in whether people will develop the condition.

13 Jul 2026

Blocking ZFP384 protein extends brain repair window after stroke

Blocking the activity of ZFP384 can prolong the brain’s endogenous repair functions after stroke, report researchers in a collaborative study.

13 Jul 2026

Gut microbiota may shape eating behavior and guide new obesity treatments

The review shows how gut microbiota may influence appetite, food reward, inflammation, and energy balance through the gut-brain axis. Microbiota-targeted approaches could support future treatments for obesity and eating disorders, but clinical evidence remains limited.

12 Jul 2026

Cold-exposed mothers pass metabolic protection to male rat offspring through milk

Maternal cold exposure during early pregnancy improved glucose control and reduced liver fat in male rat offspring, with benefits persisting into late adulthood. The findings implicate a breast milk LCA, gut microbiota, and Th17 immune pathway, while human cohort data showed an observational link between winter conception and lower MASLD risk.

12 Jul 2026

New stem cell approach targets functional cure for diabetes

New research presented today at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2026 Annual Meeting explores an approach that could expand the potential of cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes by evaluating whether immune-engineered, allogeneic insulin-producing cells can survive and function without chronic immunosuppression.

11 Jul 2026

Nine gut bacteria linked to future type 2 diabetes risk

Research identifies specific gut microbes associated with future type 2 diabetes risk, emphasizing the impact of dietary fiber on microbiome health.

9 Jul 2026

LEAP2 hormone may predict anorexia nervosa relapse risk

People with anorexia nervosa have unusually high levels of a hormone called LEAP2 in their blood when they are in the acute phase of the disorder, according to research presented today (Thursday) at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2026.

8 Jul 2026