Overview
- A Journal of the Endocrine Society paper published Tuesday reported that the ketogenic group saw a 56% greater fasting drop and a 49% greater 190‑minute drop in the proinsulin‑to‑C‑peptide ratio than the low‑fat group.
- The proinsulin‑to‑C‑peptide ratio reflects stress on pancreatic beta cells that make insulin, so a lower value signals less strain on the pancreas.
- Glucose levels changed by similar amounts in both diet groups over 12 weeks, which means the biomarker improvement did not yield better short‑term blood sugar control.
- The secondary analysis included 51 adults with early type 2 diabetes on weight‑maintaining diets, and the authors said diet composition predicted the biomarker change more than weight loss.
- Researchers cautioned that the study was small and short, called for larger and longer trials, and noted separate short keto studies that reported higher cholesterol and shifts in gut bacteria that require safety follow‑up.