Nicotinamide could play a role in triggering type 2 diabetes

Sunday 3rd January 2010

In a recent study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology an investigation has been placed into the relationship of type 2 diabetes and an overload of the food enrichment with niacin. Scientist believe that this could be affecting the body in several different ways, including insulin resistance. They also believe that the excessive use of niacin within our foods, and its lack of excretion through sweating could be contributing to the ever-growing frequency of type 2 diabetes.

The vast effect niacin could be having on diabetics could be due to the slow nicotinamide metabolism in their bodies, which would mean a longer time needed for them to digest nicotinamide. More worryingly, nicotinamide detoxification is normally carried out within the liver and anyone who is or has been taking drugs that bring on liver injury could severely reduce the nicotinamide detoxification therefore affecting the amount of tolerance that can be taken with glucose.   

The study does reveal that such a high rise of type 2 diabetes could be down to this niacin presence within our foods but could also explain certain diabetes conditions that are hard to explain. These include seasonal diabetes, lifestyle-triggered diabetes and so on. The introduction of niacin within our foods should perhaps be questioned following this recent study as its deficiency was associated with malnutrition amongst those who were performing heavy labour. Therefore, does our food need enriching with niacin anymore, particularly in countries which are now being described as being over-nutritional?

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