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Metformin (Biguanides) and Adrinal Gland
- Thread starter HICHAM_T2
- Start Date
Guzzler
Master
I have not read of a possible relationship between Metformin and the adrenal gland.
The adrenal gland secretes the stress hormone cortisol (after being triggered by the hypothalamus) and cortisol can bond(?) with glucose at an astonishing speed creating the 'Fight or Flight' response.
This is why stress all on its own raises blood glucose levels. Hope this helps.
The adrenal gland secretes the stress hormone cortisol (after being triggered by the hypothalamus) and cortisol can bond(?) with glucose at an astonishing speed creating the 'Fight or Flight' response.
This is why stress all on its own raises blood glucose levels. Hope this helps.
HICHAM_T2
Well-Known Member
Thank you
It's okay
Hi @hichagsm
Cortisol (from the adrenals) is one of the hormones that triggers the liver to release glycogen and raise blood glucose. This rise is known as a 'liver dump'. It happens when we are stressed, when we hypo, and in the mornings when we wake up, and contributes to Dawn Phenomenon.
Metformin reduces the body's tendency to 'liver dump', but I am unaware of any direct action on the kidneys/adrenals by Metformin.
If you want to find out more about Metformin (there is a lot of information out there), then you can try googling something like 'how metformin works'. There have been a lot of new studies on Meformin, and it is now thought to have benefits beyond those that were originally found. So there may be something new in that info relating to kidneys and adrenals.
Cortisol (from the adrenals) is one of the hormones that triggers the liver to release glycogen and raise blood glucose. This rise is known as a 'liver dump'. It happens when we are stressed, when we hypo, and in the mornings when we wake up, and contributes to Dawn Phenomenon.
Metformin reduces the body's tendency to 'liver dump', but I am unaware of any direct action on the kidneys/adrenals by Metformin.
If you want to find out more about Metformin (there is a lot of information out there), then you can try googling something like 'how metformin works'. There have been a lot of new studies on Meformin, and it is now thought to have benefits beyond those that were originally found. So there may be something new in that info relating to kidneys and adrenals.
HICHAM_T2
Well-Known Member
New Information on how Metformin Works
May 26, 2009
Not only has new research told us how metformin really works, but a new biomarker was found that can determine the optimal dose of metformin that should be used to get the best results for each patient.
Research from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center reveals that the drug most commonly used in Type 2 diabetics who don’t need insulin works on a much more basic level than once thought, treating persistently elevated blood sugar — the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes — by regulating the genes that control its production.
investigators say they have zeroed in on a specific segment of a protein called CBP made by the genetic switches involved in overproduction of glucose by the liver that could present new targets for drug therapy of the disease.
In healthy people, the liver produces glucose during fasting to maintain normal levels of cell energy production. After people eat, the pancreas releases insulin, the hormone responsible for glucose absorption. Once insulin is released, the liver should turn down or turn off its glucose production, but in people with Type 2 diabetes, the liver fails to sense insulin and continues to make glucose. The condition, known as insulin resistance, is caused by a glitch in the communication between liver and pancreas.
Metformin, introduced as frontline therapy for uncomplicated Type 2 diabetes in the 1950s, up until now was believed to work by making the liver more sensitive to insulin. The Hopkins study shows, however, that metformin bypasses the stumbling block in communication and works directly in the liver cells.
Senior investigator, Fred Wondisford, M.D., who heads the metabolism division at Hopkins Children’s, tells us that, "Rather than an interpreter of insulin-liver communication, metformin takes over as the messenger itself…. Metformin actually mimics the action of CBP, the critical signaling protein involved in the communication between the liver and the pancreas that’s necessary for maintaining glucose production by the liver and its suppression by insulin."
To test their hypothesis, researchers induced insulin resistance in mice by feeding them a high-fat diet over several months. Mice on high-fat diets developed insulin resistance, and their high blood glucose levels did not drop to normal after eating. Once treated with metformin, however, CBP was activated to the levels of nondiabetic mice, and their blood glucose levels returned to normal. However, when given to diabetic mice with defective copies of CBP, metformin had no effect on blood glucose levels, a proof that metformin works through CBP.
Researchers further were able to determine that metformin worked on one particular section of CBP by studying the drug’s effects in mice with normal CBP and in mice missing this section of their CBP. The mice with normal CBP responded to metformin with a drop in their fasting blood glucose — much like diabetes patients do — while the mice missing that section in their CBP had no decrease in their blood sugar.
Because CBP is involved in growth and development and a variety of metabolic processes in other organs, this newly discovered pathway may hold therapeutic promise for conditions like growth retardation, cancer and infertility, investigators say.
Another important finding in the study: investigators have discovered a biomarker that can predict how well a person will respond to treatment with metformin and help doctors determine the optimal therapeutic dose, which can vary widely from person to person. The Hopkins team has found that in mice, metformin changes CBP in white bloods cells — just as it does in liver cells — creating a molecular marker that is easily measured via a standard blood test.
"This is the quintessence of individualized medicine: we have found an easily obtainable biomarker with great predictive power that can tell us whether and how well an individual will respond to treatment and help us determine the best dose right away instead of trying to do it by trial and error," Wondisford says.
Researchers caution that, while promising, their findings must be first replicated in humans.
Reporting in the May 15 issue of Cell, 2009
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/new-information-on-how-metformin-works/
May 26, 2009
Not only has new research told us how metformin really works, but a new biomarker was found that can determine the optimal dose of metformin that should be used to get the best results for each patient.
Research from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center reveals that the drug most commonly used in Type 2 diabetics who don’t need insulin works on a much more basic level than once thought, treating persistently elevated blood sugar — the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes — by regulating the genes that control its production.
investigators say they have zeroed in on a specific segment of a protein called CBP made by the genetic switches involved in overproduction of glucose by the liver that could present new targets for drug therapy of the disease.
In healthy people, the liver produces glucose during fasting to maintain normal levels of cell energy production. After people eat, the pancreas releases insulin, the hormone responsible for glucose absorption. Once insulin is released, the liver should turn down or turn off its glucose production, but in people with Type 2 diabetes, the liver fails to sense insulin and continues to make glucose. The condition, known as insulin resistance, is caused by a glitch in the communication between liver and pancreas.
Metformin, introduced as frontline therapy for uncomplicated Type 2 diabetes in the 1950s, up until now was believed to work by making the liver more sensitive to insulin. The Hopkins study shows, however, that metformin bypasses the stumbling block in communication and works directly in the liver cells.
Senior investigator, Fred Wondisford, M.D., who heads the metabolism division at Hopkins Children’s, tells us that, "Rather than an interpreter of insulin-liver communication, metformin takes over as the messenger itself…. Metformin actually mimics the action of CBP, the critical signaling protein involved in the communication between the liver and the pancreas that’s necessary for maintaining glucose production by the liver and its suppression by insulin."
To test their hypothesis, researchers induced insulin resistance in mice by feeding them a high-fat diet over several months. Mice on high-fat diets developed insulin resistance, and their high blood glucose levels did not drop to normal after eating. Once treated with metformin, however, CBP was activated to the levels of nondiabetic mice, and their blood glucose levels returned to normal. However, when given to diabetic mice with defective copies of CBP, metformin had no effect on blood glucose levels, a proof that metformin works through CBP.
Researchers further were able to determine that metformin worked on one particular section of CBP by studying the drug’s effects in mice with normal CBP and in mice missing this section of their CBP. The mice with normal CBP responded to metformin with a drop in their fasting blood glucose — much like diabetes patients do — while the mice missing that section in their CBP had no decrease in their blood sugar.
Because CBP is involved in growth and development and a variety of metabolic processes in other organs, this newly discovered pathway may hold therapeutic promise for conditions like growth retardation, cancer and infertility, investigators say.
Another important finding in the study: investigators have discovered a biomarker that can predict how well a person will respond to treatment with metformin and help doctors determine the optimal therapeutic dose, which can vary widely from person to person. The Hopkins team has found that in mice, metformin changes CBP in white bloods cells — just as it does in liver cells — creating a molecular marker that is easily measured via a standard blood test.
"This is the quintessence of individualized medicine: we have found an easily obtainable biomarker with great predictive power that can tell us whether and how well an individual will respond to treatment and help us determine the best dose right away instead of trying to do it by trial and error," Wondisford says.
Researchers caution that, while promising, their findings must be first replicated in humans.
Reporting in the May 15 issue of Cell, 2009
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/new-information-on-how-metformin-works/
HICHAM_T2
Well-Known Member
Hi Admin
I want to Thank you for your help
Metformin appears to work directly on liver cells
I thought it works by reducing the hormone adrenaline
HICHAM_T2
Well-Known Member
The caffeine relationship is the same
The adrenals are small but mighty glands, which sit on top of the kidneys. Their function is to release hormones that trigger the fight-or-flight response when we’re confronted with stressors. When adrenaline floods our bodies, our muscles contract and our heart rate quickens. Basically, the body is put on alert and is made ready for action.
Here’s the problem. Coffee stimulates the adrenal glands, which means that every time you drink coffee, you’re activating the body’s fight-or-flight response. But, instead of releasing adrenaline so the body can react to a true stressor, the adrenals are releasing this hormone in response to your coffee consumption.
What happens over time is that your adrenal glands start to burn out from overuse, which can lead to adrenal fatigue. Naturally, you can help to prevent adrenal fatigue simply by avoiding coffee, or keeping your consumption to a minimum.
Does caffeine really give you an energy boost? Depending on how much caffeine you consume, it can make you feel as if you have more energy, especially within the first couple of hours after consumption.
However, once the effects of the caffeine have worn off, you’ll actually feel more tired than you did before you drank it.
The Caffeine-Cortisol Connection
Here’s a fact: cortisol, the stress hormone, is released after consuming coffee whether you’re under mental stress or not, according to a study published in the February 2008 edition of “Psychosomatic Medicine.” So, let’s talk again about fatigue and insomnia, which are related to caffeine and cortisol.
Cortisol production is naturally high in the early morning, around 8:00 a.m. because one of its functions is to help you rise and shine for the day.
But, people who chronically stress their adrenal glands to overproduce cortisol change their cortisol concentrations so that it’s low instead of high when they wake up in the morning.
Of course, then they reach for a cup of coffee to artificially spike their cortisol levels again.
These same people experience huge cortisol surges at meals, which causes them to overeat. They, in turn, wind up with higher body fat, lower muscle mass, and a reduced metabolism so they burn fewer calories.
They don’t sleep well at night because elevated cortisol levels keep them from entering stage 4 sleep, which is the deep rebuild-and-repair sleep your body needs to feel rejuvenated and rested.
Ladies, listen to this one. How about skin aging and wrinkling? Caffeine dehydrates the body and elevates cortisol levels. This leads to dehydrated skin and premature wrinkling.
In his bestselling books, The Perricone Prescription and The Wrinkle Cure, Dr. Nicholas Perricone encourages people to quit coffee to prevent skin aging.
His patients have shown him the consequences of elevated cortisol levels on skin aging and wrinkling—dehydration and a decrease in collagen and elastin production.
It’s a good reminder that we must drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to maintain healthy and beautiful skin, as all biochemical reactions in the body take place in the presence of water.
So, if you suffer from IBS, acid reflux, stomach ulcers, diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, colitis, high blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, or anxiety, isn’t it time to consider eliminating your coffee intake? Don’t worry. I won’t leave you without alternatives. I offer you some healthy substitutes for coffee.
Natural Alternatives to Coffee
While you’re trying to wean yourself off of coffee and are searching for a satisfying replacement beverage, let’s not forget about water. Water is vital to the body and is truly the elixir of life.
Drinking water is one of the most important things we can do every day to maintain good health. I always recommend that you drink filtered or spring water instead of tap or distilled water. And, stay away from fluoridated water. Natural water is best.
Tea—The Other Popular Beverage
Herbal tea is a great replacement for coffee, so why not try nettle tea. Nettle is very cleansing, and it curbs the appetite so it’s ideal for weight loss. It’s also very high in minerals.
Nettle tea will give you a boost in the morning. Plus, it’s a gentle diuretic and is considered restorative to the kidneys and bladder.
Green tea has many healthful properties and is another great substitute for coffee. Ideally, you want green tea that contains the entire ground tea leaf.
Matcha green tea is what I prefer. It’s renowned for its numerous health benefits. Matcha tea is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and chlorophyll. Plus, it’s sugar-free, so it’s an ideal drink for diabetics and others wishing to reduce their sugar intake.
The health benefits of matcha exceed those of other green teas because matcha drinkers ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water. One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content.
Tulsi tea (also known as Holy Basil) is another favorite tea of mine. It’s a powerful herb used in Ayurveda, which is an ancient system of medicine practiced in India.
The thing I like about tulsi is that it’s an adaptogenic herb, which means that it helps to reduce the stressors that may be compromising your physical and mental well-being.
Tulsi is also rich in antioxidants so we know that consuming it will help prevent oxidation damage, which can leave our bodies vulnerable to disease. That’s probably why Ayurvedic practices often use tulsi to treat cancer, as well as headaches, diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint pain, among other maladies and diseases.
According to Dr. Ralph Miller, who is the former Director of Research for the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare, “Modern scientific research offers impressive evidence that tulsi reduces stress, enhances stamina, relieves inflammation, lowers cholesterol, eliminates toxins, protects against radiation, prevents gastric ulcers, lowers fevers, improves digestion and provides a rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients.”
Dr. Miller also stated that “tulsi is especially effective in supporting the heart, blood vessels, liver and lungs and also regulates blood pressure and blood sugar.”
That’s quite an endorsement of tulsi’s health benefits. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving these coffee alternatives a try.
Nancy Desjardins is an online holistic nutrition coach. She created healthlady.com which is a global hub of information for all things dealing with holistic nutrition and organic health.
The adrenals are small but mighty glands, which sit on top of the kidneys. Their function is to release hormones that trigger the fight-or-flight response when we’re confronted with stressors. When adrenaline floods our bodies, our muscles contract and our heart rate quickens. Basically, the body is put on alert and is made ready for action.
Here’s the problem. Coffee stimulates the adrenal glands, which means that every time you drink coffee, you’re activating the body’s fight-or-flight response. But, instead of releasing adrenaline so the body can react to a true stressor, the adrenals are releasing this hormone in response to your coffee consumption.
What happens over time is that your adrenal glands start to burn out from overuse, which can lead to adrenal fatigue. Naturally, you can help to prevent adrenal fatigue simply by avoiding coffee, or keeping your consumption to a minimum.
Does caffeine really give you an energy boost? Depending on how much caffeine you consume, it can make you feel as if you have more energy, especially within the first couple of hours after consumption.
However, once the effects of the caffeine have worn off, you’ll actually feel more tired than you did before you drank it.
The Caffeine-Cortisol Connection
Here’s a fact: cortisol, the stress hormone, is released after consuming coffee whether you’re under mental stress or not, according to a study published in the February 2008 edition of “Psychosomatic Medicine.” So, let’s talk again about fatigue and insomnia, which are related to caffeine and cortisol.
Cortisol production is naturally high in the early morning, around 8:00 a.m. because one of its functions is to help you rise and shine for the day.
But, people who chronically stress their adrenal glands to overproduce cortisol change their cortisol concentrations so that it’s low instead of high when they wake up in the morning.
Of course, then they reach for a cup of coffee to artificially spike their cortisol levels again.
These same people experience huge cortisol surges at meals, which causes them to overeat. They, in turn, wind up with higher body fat, lower muscle mass, and a reduced metabolism so they burn fewer calories.
They don’t sleep well at night because elevated cortisol levels keep them from entering stage 4 sleep, which is the deep rebuild-and-repair sleep your body needs to feel rejuvenated and rested.
Ladies, listen to this one. How about skin aging and wrinkling? Caffeine dehydrates the body and elevates cortisol levels. This leads to dehydrated skin and premature wrinkling.
In his bestselling books, The Perricone Prescription and The Wrinkle Cure, Dr. Nicholas Perricone encourages people to quit coffee to prevent skin aging.
His patients have shown him the consequences of elevated cortisol levels on skin aging and wrinkling—dehydration and a decrease in collagen and elastin production.
It’s a good reminder that we must drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to maintain healthy and beautiful skin, as all biochemical reactions in the body take place in the presence of water.
So, if you suffer from IBS, acid reflux, stomach ulcers, diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, colitis, high blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, or anxiety, isn’t it time to consider eliminating your coffee intake? Don’t worry. I won’t leave you without alternatives. I offer you some healthy substitutes for coffee.
Natural Alternatives to Coffee
While you’re trying to wean yourself off of coffee and are searching for a satisfying replacement beverage, let’s not forget about water. Water is vital to the body and is truly the elixir of life.
Drinking water is one of the most important things we can do every day to maintain good health. I always recommend that you drink filtered or spring water instead of tap or distilled water. And, stay away from fluoridated water. Natural water is best.
Tea—The Other Popular Beverage
Herbal tea is a great replacement for coffee, so why not try nettle tea. Nettle is very cleansing, and it curbs the appetite so it’s ideal for weight loss. It’s also very high in minerals.
Nettle tea will give you a boost in the morning. Plus, it’s a gentle diuretic and is considered restorative to the kidneys and bladder.
Green tea has many healthful properties and is another great substitute for coffee. Ideally, you want green tea that contains the entire ground tea leaf.
Matcha green tea is what I prefer. It’s renowned for its numerous health benefits. Matcha tea is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and chlorophyll. Plus, it’s sugar-free, so it’s an ideal drink for diabetics and others wishing to reduce their sugar intake.
The health benefits of matcha exceed those of other green teas because matcha drinkers ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water. One glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content.
Tulsi tea (also known as Holy Basil) is another favorite tea of mine. It’s a powerful herb used in Ayurveda, which is an ancient system of medicine practiced in India.
The thing I like about tulsi is that it’s an adaptogenic herb, which means that it helps to reduce the stressors that may be compromising your physical and mental well-being.
Tulsi is also rich in antioxidants so we know that consuming it will help prevent oxidation damage, which can leave our bodies vulnerable to disease. That’s probably why Ayurvedic practices often use tulsi to treat cancer, as well as headaches, diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint pain, among other maladies and diseases.
According to Dr. Ralph Miller, who is the former Director of Research for the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare, “Modern scientific research offers impressive evidence that tulsi reduces stress, enhances stamina, relieves inflammation, lowers cholesterol, eliminates toxins, protects against radiation, prevents gastric ulcers, lowers fevers, improves digestion and provides a rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients.”
Dr. Miller also stated that “tulsi is especially effective in supporting the heart, blood vessels, liver and lungs and also regulates blood pressure and blood sugar.”
That’s quite an endorsement of tulsi’s health benefits. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving these coffee alternatives a try.
Nancy Desjardins is an online holistic nutrition coach. She created healthlady.com which is a global hub of information for all things dealing with holistic nutrition and organic health.
@hichamgsm
Do you have a link to where you found the stuff about caffeine?
It is better to give people a chance to click on the site and see it for themselves, and it also shows where you got the information from, giving 'a reference' for the information and letting people know that it is someone else's research and opinion rather than yours.
Do you have a link to where you found the stuff about caffeine?
It is better to give people a chance to click on the site and see it for themselves, and it also shows where you got the information from, giving 'a reference' for the information and letting people know that it is someone else's research and opinion rather than yours.
Fruitella
Well-Known Member
@hichamgsm
As Brunneria has said, articles taken from books and websites must be referenced. Just search online for Harvard referencing websites and there are free easy systems to use.
As Brunneria has said, articles taken from books and websites must be referenced. Just search online for Harvard referencing websites and there are free easy systems to use.
HICHAM_T2
Well-Known Member
http://drjessechappus.com/the-impact-of-coffee-on-your-adrenal-glands/#@hichamgsm
Do you have a link to where you found the stuff about caffeine?
It is better to give people a chance to click on the site and see it for themselves, and it also shows where you got the information from, giving 'a reference' for the information and letting people know that it is someone else's research and opinion rather than yours.
