Research

Hormonal

Oral ingestion of 15g essential amino acids (EAA) stimulates a greater insulin response compared to intravenous infusion of an equivalent dose, primarily mediated by the incretin hormone GIP, and this mechanism remains intact in older adults.

Consuming 15g of essential amino acids orally triggers a stronger insulin response than injecting the same amount, driven by gut hormones (specifically GIP). This 'incretin effect' helps manage blood sugar and remains effective in older adults, suggesting EAA supplementation can support metabolic health across the lifespan.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Postprandial rises in EAA levels lead to rapid insulinaemia which is higher with oral compared with IV EAA, that is attributed more to GIP and unaffected by age.
Haitham Abdulla et al. · Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism · 2019

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with matched oral/IV groups and older/younger cohorts, though sample size is small (N=25).

Source

The effect of oral essential amino acids on incretin hormone production in youth and ageing

Haitham Abdulla et al. · Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism · 2019

DOI 10.1002/edm2.85

rct · n=25Cited 9×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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