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Nutrient pill delays GLP-1 peak to control hunger
Adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes who consumed a delayed-release nutrient pill took longer to reach peak GLP-1 levels compared with when they consumed an unformulated nutrient powder, according to findings published in Nutrition & Diabetes.
“We hypothesized that a formulation designed to release nutrient rapidly in the small intestine would simulate the appearance of nutrient in the small intestine,” Elizabeth Beale, MD, an assistant professor of clinical medicine in the division of endocrinology and diabetes at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues wrote. “We propose that such a nutrient formulation could be ingested before, or even in place of, a regular meal to reduce appetite and caloric intake and improve glucose control.”
Beale and colleagues compared outcomes from consumption of a 200 kcal delayed-release nutrient pill consisting of whole milk powder and sucrose and a 200 kcal unformulated nutrient mixture in 19 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity (mean age, 49 years; 63.2% women; mean BMI, 38.7 kg/m2). Between March and July 2017, participants consumed either the pill or mixture in a clinical setting and were observed for 3 hours. The process was then repeated at least a week later with either the pill or mixture depending on what was consumed during the first visit.
At 15-minute intervals during each research visit, researchers took blood samples from participants who reported how satiated they felt via a visual analogue scale on a similar schedule. Blood samples were used to measure circulating levels of GLP-1, C-peptide, insulin and glucose.
The researchers found that it took a mean of 103 minutes after consumption of the pill for participants to reach a peak measure of GLP-1 compared with a mean of 58 minutes after consumption of the powder (P = .03). In addition, the researchers said there was a decline in GLP-1 levels after 90 minutes during the powder tests whereas GLP-1 levels were heightened during this period in the tests of the pill.
When consuming the pill, participants took 84 minutes to reach peak glucose levels of 142 mg/dL whereas it took 43 minutes to reach a peak of 168 mg/dL when consuming the powder (P = .003).
During tests of the pill, it took 130 minutes for participants to reach an average peak in C-peptide levels of 2,248 pg/mL compared with 77 minutes to reach an average peak of 2,901 pg/mL when consuming the powder (P = .0003).
After consuming the pill, participants took 111 minutes to reach an average peak of 1,439 pg/mL of insulin vs. a wait of 59 minutes to reach an average peak of 2,196 pg/mL during the powder test (P < .0001).
The researchers also stated that when consuming the pill, participants took 19 minutes to report their lowest hunger values on the visual analogue scale, which compared with a time of 44 minutes for the powder (P = .0155).
“This work provides additional information regarding the use of formulated nutrient for appetite and glucose control,” the researchers wrote. “Testing this formulation for a longer period and with multiple doses in ambulatory subjects would provide a more complete picture of the GLP-1 profile and effects on appetite.” – by Phil Neuffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.