A new laboratory study suggests surprising effects of fat in the pancreas in maintaining insulin production when sugar is excess. In type 2 diabetes, the body's own amounts of insulin are not sufficient to regulate blood sugar levels. According to the study authors, a cycle of fat storage and mobilization in the pancreas could maintain the organ's ability to produce insulin. Furthermore, the new finding could explain howintermittent fasting for preventionand treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Is the accumulation of fat in the pancreas beneficial?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to regulate the amount of sugar circulating in the blood. In diabetes, this mechanism begins to break down when either the pancreas stops producing enough insulin or when the body's tissues become resistant to the hormone's effects. Scientists agree that high blood sugar levels damage beta cells in the pancreas. These are the cells that produce insulin. However, the role that fat plays in the pancreas is more controversial. Now the research team has found that fat stores in the pancreas help maintain insulin secretion and slow the onset of diabetes. The findings may accordingly explain the benefits of exercise and intermittent fasting as strategies to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes. The study suggests that a cycle of fat storage in pancreatic cells after meals, followed by fat breakdown in the hours before the next meal, may help maintain insulin production.
The research team observed that periods of high availability of fat and sugar alternated with low availability activated genes in the pancreas. These promoted a cycle of fat storage and mobilization. The benefits of this cycle became apparent at times when the cells were no longer supplied with sufficient energy. While the connection between excess fat in the pancreas and diabetes was clear, the nature of the correlation between them remained unclear. Therefore it would still be earlythis studyto conclude that fat rescues insulin secretion from the pancreas when it is damaged. Reduced food intake combined with exercise improves insulin sensitivity. This remains the most important recommendation for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
