Hormonal
Hyperinsulinemia is a causal driver of obesity and lipid accumulation, rather than merely a compensatory response to insulin resistance or caloric surplus.
If you struggle with obesity, high insulin levels may be driving your fat storage, not just a result of it. Strategies that lower insulin (like low-carb diets, time-restricted feeding, or exercise) may be more effective for weight loss than calorie restriction alone, as they address the hormonal driver of lipid accumulation.
Collectively, these experiments also fit well with clinical and pre-clinical studies demonstrating that therapy with long-acting insulin analogues leads to weight gain... Clearly, more work needs to be done, but the idea that insulin plays an important role in lipid homeostasis in vivo appears to be broadly supported.
Why this rating
Strong evidence from multiple genetic loss-of-function mouse models and supporting clinical observations, though human causal trials are limited.
Source
A causal role for hyperinsulinemia in obesity
Nicole M. Templeman et al. · Journal of Endocrinology · 2017
DOI 10.1530/joe-16-0449
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →