Among adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes, eating a Mediterranean diet high in glycemic index for 12 weeks raises average blood glucose levels by 37% in women, but not in men, when compared to a...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
When women eat carbs that spike blood sugar quickly, their liver keeps releasing glucose even when it shouldn’t, and their muscles and fat don’t take up sugar as well. Men’s bodies handle the same carbs without these changes, so their blood sugar stays stable.
Most probable mechanism
In women, eating foods that quickly raise blood sugar causes the liver to release more glucose after meals and makes muscle and fat tissue less responsive to insulin, leading to higher average blood sugar levels over time. Men do not show this same pattern, likely because their bodies handle the sugar load differently at the liver and tissue level.
Rapid absorption of glucose from high-glycemic index carbohydrates leads to higher postprandial plasma glucose peaks in women compared to men.
Elevated postprandial glucose triggers a disproportionate increase in hepatic glucose production in women, overriding normal insulin-mediated suppression.
Peripheral insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue declines more in women than in men under sustained high glucose exposure.
The combined effect of increased hepatic glucose output and reduced peripheral glucose uptake results in sustained elevation of average plasma glucose over 8 hours in women.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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