A recent report in L.A. Times points out that almost half of all Americans have either diabetes or pre-diabetes. More than a third of all Americas are obese and these two health conditions remain prevalent health problem in the United States. This is why six young brave men agreed to pose as lab rats just to establish a link between the two conditions.
The six healthy men endured a week of Caligula-class consumption for the sake of science. They gained almost 6 pounds in a week consuming 6,000 calories a day while being monitored closely in a Philadelphia hospital. That's a week's worth of calories on a daily basis.
It took the researchers less than three days to find the answers to their questions. The men were starting to develop insulin resistance between the second and third day of consuming more than their usual calorie intake.
Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells fail to respond to insulin and the pancreas produces more insulin to keep up with the difference. This sudden onslaught of fuel unleashed an overflowing amount of oxygen by-products that are toxic to other cells. A group of proteins, GLUT4, that transport glucose to different parts of the body have malfunctioned because of oxidative stress. These changes may have affected the protein's ability take up glucose in response to insulin, leading to insulin resistance.
According to Seattle Times, these latest findings can be resolved by targeting the proteins which became insulin resistant because of chronic over nutrition. In their findings which were published in the journal of "Science Translational Medicine", the researchers suggested antioxidant therapies such as Vitamin C and E supplements, coenzyme Q10 or selenium, may help those who are overeating from developing metabolic problems.
If the six men continued this pattern of eating, they would have developed type 2 diabetes in a short span of time. Two things happen if you develop insulin resistance: high concentrations of glucose remain in the blood, damaging blood vessels and nerves, and in order to keep up with overflowing calories, pancreas begin to work overtime, producing more insulin and exhausting themselves in the process. Thus, successfully establishing a link between obesity and diabetes, thanks to the six brave young men.
