Ketogenic Diet Cuts Proportion of Proinsulin Secreted in Type 2 Diabetes

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on April 23, 2026.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, April 23, 2026 -- For adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), a ketogenic diet (KD) reduces the proportion of proinsulin secreted to a greater extent than a low-fat diet (LFD), according to a study published online April 21 in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

Marian L. Yurchishin, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues compared changes in the proinsulin-to-C-peptide (PICP) ratio following a KD or LFD in 51 adults with T2D. Participants were randomly assigned to a KD or LFD for 12 weeks. A hyperglycemic clamp was used to determine PICP and the acute (ACP) and maximal C-peptide responses.

The researchers found that after adjustment for 12-week fasting glucose and baseline fasting PICP (PICP0), diet assignment was a significant predictor of change in PICP0 (KD versus LFD: β = –0.18). When 190-minute PICP (PICP190) was used as the outcome variable, results were similar (KD versus LFD; β = –0.23) after adjustment for 12-week fasting glucose and baseline PICP190. During the 12-week study, change in ACP was inversely associated with changes in PICP0 and PICP190 (ρ = –0.37 and –0.38).

"We showed that three months of a ketogenic diet was able to improve beta-cell function in patients with T2D, and these improvements were associated with changes in the PICP ratio, a biomarker of pancreas stress," Yurchishin said in a statement. "Other than bariatric surgery or large-volume intentional weight loss, interventions for improving beta-cell function in T2D do not currently exist."

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-04-24 02:02

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