An amazing discovery that could help people with diabetes has been made by an international team of scientists. An article about this research was published in one of the world’s most authoritative journals, Nature Metabolism. It used to be called Vitamin B4 Firstly, scientists discovered a new therapeutic mechanism that may help with type 2 diabetes. Secondly, they immediately found a “medicine” to help patients. The quotes are used because this is not a bitter pill, but a beneficial component of many foods – choline. It performs numerous beneficial functions in our body. It used to be called Vitamin B4. But then it was decided that it is more accurate to consider it a vitamin-like substance because choline differs from vitamins in that the human body can produce it. However, it produces it in clearly insufficient amounts, and therefore, like other vitamins, it must definitely be obtained through diet. Its daily intake requirement is 0.5-1 g. Don’t be sick, but live. Doctors revealed new treatments for diabetes Read more An international team of scientists conducted a serious and multifaceted study in which they found that the substance trimethylamine (TMA) blocks a key mechanism that activates the immune system, enhances inflammation, and thereby exacerbates insulin resistance—worsening insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes. What does choline have to do with this? This very TMA is formed from it. This happens in the intestine with the help of bacteria. Mechanism of action studied in detail Using human cell cultures, mice, and complex molecular screening methods, scientists studied the pathological mechanism and its blockade by TMA in detail. This substance bound to the IRAK4 protein and rendered it inactive. Being a key “player” in the immune system, it initiated the chain of reactions that led to increased insulin resistance. Conversely, blocking this regulatory protein restored normal insulin function. The role of the IRAK4 protein was definitively proven by genetically “switching it off” in mice. Their insulin function improved, and their blood glucose levels decreased. Then, the exact same effect was demonstrated for TMA. As part of the study, it was shown that eliminating calories equivalent to the energy content of one chocolate bar per day helps to significantly improve health. Reducing “energy.” How many calories need to be cut to protect against diabetes Read more Intestinal bacteria produce a diabetes drug “This shows how diet and our gut microbes can work together to produce molecules that fight inflammation and improve metabolic health,” says lead researcher Professor Patrice Cani of KU Leuven (Belgium) about the role of choline. “What we eat shapes our microbes, and some of their molecules can protect us from diabetes. This is the effect of proper nutrition.” “This changes everything,” echoes Professor Marc-Emmanuel Dumas of Imperial College London. “We have shown that a molecule produced by our gut microbes can actually protect against the harmful effects of a poor diet through a new mechanism. This is a new perspective on how the microbiome affects our health.” Where can choline be found? Dietary strategies or drugs that stimulate TMA production may become a new approach to combating insulin resistance and its complications, the scientists summarize their work. The incidence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes in the future depends on the purity of the air in childhood. Searching for roots. Risk factors for future hypertension and diabetes found in children Read more One question remains: where can choline be found? It is most abundant in eggs, especially the yolk, in chicken, shrimp, cod, and salmon, peanuts, soybeans, bran, and high amounts in beef, pork, and lamb. We wrote about this in more detail earlier.
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