In this guide
Incretins are peptide hormones released from the gut after food intake that stimulate insulin secretion when blood sugar is high. There are two known incretin hormones: GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), released from K cells in the upper gut, and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), released from L cells in the lower gut. [1]
The incretin effect
Together, the two hormones account for the “incretin effect”: when the same amount of glucose is given by mouth, the insulin response is two to three times higher than when it is given intravenously. [1] According to the review by Nauck and Meier, this effect is reduced or lost in people with type 2 diabetes. The review attributes this to two causes: a marked drop in the activity of GIP on the diabetic pancreas, and the physiologically very small contribution of GLP-1 to the incretin effect even in healthy people. [1]
Relationship to GLP-1
GLP-1 is one of the incretins; it is produced in L cells of the gut and released with a meal. [2] “GLP-1 agonist” drugs target the receptor of this hormone; the conditions of use and safety information for these drugs are found in the product information of licensed products (SmPC (Turkish KÜB)).
Limits
The incretin effect is a physiological finding; it does not follow from it that a particular food or supplement raises the body’s own incretins and provides a health benefit for weight or blood sugar, which would have to be measured separately in humans. The function of the hormones and the drug class are covered in What is GLP-1? and the GLP-1 entry.
Sources
Updated
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