It really isn’t news per se – the impact of stress and weight gain along with onset of insulin sensitivity and full-blown diabetes type 2 is generally understood. But a new study has looked at how it all works.
According to a new study, researchers found that obesity causes insulin resistance by increasing activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the release of the stress hormone norepinephrine.
Study senior author Christoph Buettner who is chief of endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, commented, “We have been interested in the basic mechanisms of how obesity induces diabetes. Given that the cost of the diabetes epidemic in the U.S. alone exceeds $300 billion per year, this is a critically important question.”
It is typically believed that obesity causes diabetes by impairing insulin signals within liver and fat cells. But the new research shows that overeating and obesity increase the body’s sympathetic nervous system and that the elevated level of the stress hormones norepinephrine and epinephrine counteract insulin’s effects even though cellular insulin signaling still works.
In mice, the authors observed that overeating increases norepinephrine within days, indicating how quickly surplus food stimulates the sympathetic nervous system.
Here’s how they did it: To see what effect this excess hormone production has in spurring disease development, the authors utilized genetically engineered mice that unable to produce stress hormones catecholamines outside of their brains and central nervous systems. The researchers fed these mice a obesity-inducing high-fat and high-sugar diet,
Here’s what they saw — although the subjects ate as many calories and grew just as obese as normal mice, they did not develop metabolic disease.
“We were delighted to see that our mice ate as much because it indicates that the differences in insulin sensitivity and their lack of metabolic disease are not due to reduced food intake or reduced obesity but due to the greatly reduced stress hormones. These mice cannot increase stress hormones that counteract insulin; hence, insulin resistance does not develop during obesity development.”
The results, said Buettner, may shed some light on why some obese people develop diabetes while others don’t and why stress can worsen diabetes even with little weight gain. “Our finding that even obesity principally induces metabolic disease via increased stress hormones provides new insight into the common basis for all these factors that increase the risk of diabetes. Stress and obesity, in essence, work through the same basic mechanism in causing diabetes, through the actions of stress hormones.”
How a Special Citrus Can Support Weight and Blood Sugar
Supplements cannot make any claims about disease states – however, some can help support physiological actions that result in protecting against reduced systemic functions and promoting healthy regularity of function.
Citrus bergamot Risso yields a powerful natural complex (polyphenolic fractions) that have powerful studies demonstrating benefit for overall metabolic and liver function, resulting in weight and blood sugar management. This long-revered citrus is grown abundantly only on the Calabrian coast of southern Italy where it has centuries of use as food, medicine and even hygiene.
And it serves as the basis for four unique, clinically proven ingredients that have tremendous versatile use. Below are summaries of each:
Bergamonte® is the flagship C. bergamia ingredient offered by HP Ingredients. Patented Bergamonte® contains bioactive compounds of extract of the juice and albedo of Citrus bergamia Risso, standardized to >38% polyphenolic flavonoids consisting of naringin, neohesperidin, neoeriocitrin, 1% melitidin, and 2% brutieridin. Human studies show it maintains healthy blood glucose levels and promotes healthy weight loss.
N.O.Max® is a patented blend of 65% L-Citrulline and 15% flavonoids from Citrus bergamia Risso extract. It has been shown in a human clinical study to reduce fasting blood glucose and inflammatory markers.
CitruSlim® is a proprietary blend of Citrus flavanone-O-glycosides and Eurypeptides from Eurycoma Longifolia that can promote an anabolic state, reduce cortisol, activate AMPK, and help balance blood glucose levels. CitruSlim® can promote healthy weight loss by helping dieters maintain high energy levels during weight loss programs, prevent the body from storing fat, reduce appetites, prevent binge eating,
Bergacyn® is the newest member of the Citrus bergamia Risso extract family. This patented combination of 50% Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction (BPF®) with 50% Cynara cardunculus extract (10% cynaropicrin) has been clinically shown to encourage healthy weight loss, and support browning of adipose tissue. Bergacyn’s key herbal powers lies in its ability to protect liver structure, promoting healthier liver function, as shown by preclinical and clinical studies.
There’s another ingredient in the HP Ingredient stable that synergizes with our bergamot blends – Adapticort® Eurycoma longifolia, studied for its ability to reduce cortisol and other stress hormones as well as promote weight loss.
Please feel free to contact me to discuss how your new formula may blend our bergamot ingredients with Adapticort to reduce stress markers and support weight loss and healthier blood sugar levels.
