A study published in the online edition of the journal Nature, found a sensor in the liver (LXR) activated by glucose that controls the body's metabolism of cholesterol and fat.
Scientists fed synthetic LXR to mice eating a diet of mostly simple sugars. They discovered that the mice metabolized glucose more effectively and that activation suppressed new production of glucose in the liver. That prompted the scientists to study glucose levels as the LXR activating mechanism in the liver. By controlling glucose sensing and fat synthesis by LXR, scientists may explain and correct why low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets can lead to an elevated level of triglycerides in the blood. LXR can sense surplus glucose, induce fatty acid synthesis, and prompt the liver's export of triglycerides into the bloodstream rather than being stored as fat.
LXR could resolve the problem of hyperglycemia and atherosclerosis by binding to glucose and cholesterol buildup in the body. LXR induced regression of atherosclerosis, the clogging, narrowing, and hardening of the body's large arteries and blood vessels that can lead to stroke, heart attack, and eye and kidney problems. Contrary to conventional wisdom, this experiment led to the discovery that glucose binds directly to LXR, representing the first signaling pathway of this kind.
1. Disclaimer: This is a hurried comment from work (shh!) because I know the half life of blog comments is very short; someone do me the kindness of correcting me if I have misread the linked article, insofar as what the research is showing.
I think what we are seeing is more proof of Atkins' original research, showing, wait for it, there is *not* a direct correlation between dietary fat intake, and cholesterol in the blood.
Let that sink in. The fat you eat is not directly the fat that ends up on your artery walls.
For 40 years (unless you listened to Atkins) you have been told that a high-fat diet will directly, through metabolism of that fat in the diet, lead to clogged arteries. You can even read some less-enlightened diabetes blogs (ahem!) that *this very week* continue to promulgate that myth. Not true! This research is confirming precisely why the Atkins diet, in credible, long-term trials just published in the last several months, has been shown to cause no increase in cholesterol or triglyceride levels, while significantly *increasing* HDL levels (the good cholesterol.) i.e., the Atkins diet is *good* for your heart, just as Dr. Atkins' patients were told all along. (Did you know he was a cardiologist by training, frustrated that conventional therapies were not working for his patients?) This is exciting stuff Allie is finding, hopeful news for both diabetic and cardiac patients!
If you've been following along at home, here's the lousy news: when the liver releases triglycerides into the bloodstream, triggered by higher glucose levels (read: lot's of carbs in that last meal), guess what precipitates it and makes it adhere to your arteries? Bad news: insulin does. This is true whether the insulin is produced by the pancreas, or injected/pumped.
Bottom line: if you eat lots of carbs in one shot, your liver dumps cholesterol into your blood, and the insulin you just produced or injected to cover those carbs causes the cholesterol to adhere to your artery walls.
Solution: keep your carb intake at any one sitting on the lower end. This will tend to not trigger your liver, and it will mean you do not have to inject as much insulin. Both good!
Fact: I am just a technical writer whose wife got Type 1 three years ago. We have followed an Atkins-esque diet, and her HbA1C's are pristine (5.0 to 5.5), her kidneys are squeaky clean, and her cholesterol is perfect. But that's just anecdotal, it could be a fluke. You need to start reading up on this stuff yourself, and help yourself to better control, better health, and a better long-term outlook. Don't wait for your doctor, and don't just take my word for it.
Finally, Allie: this is now the diabetes blog I go to first. You are finding and pointing to the most meaningful research out there, and we all owe you a debt of gratitude for your work.
Posted at 3:05PM on Jan 5th 2007 by TechRightGuy