In 221 physically active young Iranian adults, the highest tertile of dietary insulin load (DIL) was associated with lower METS-IR, while dietary insulin index (DII) showed no significant associations with most glucose homeostasis and metabolic markers, suggesting DIL may be more closely related than DII to glycemic profile and that regular physical activity may attenuate adverse metabolic responses to diets with higher insulinemic load.
Participants in the highest DIL tertile had significantly lower METS-IR than those in the lowest tertile after full adjustment.
The second DIL tertile, but not the third, was associated with lower C-peptide levels in multivariable analysis.
DII showed no significant associations with most glucose homeostasis and metabolic markers, apart from a borderline trend with QUICKI.
DIL appeared more closely related than DII to glycemic profile in this population.
The authors suggest that regular physical activity may attenuate adverse metabolic responses to diets with higher insulinemic load.
The study used a cross-sectional design in physically active young adults recruited from sports clubs in Tabriz, Iran, with dietary insulin measures derived from a validated FFQ.
This study looked at whether the insulin-stimulating effect of people's diets was linked to blood sugar, insulin and related markers in 221 healthy, physically active young adults in Tabriz, Iran. Researchers estimated two diet scores from a food questionnaire: dietary insulin index (how much insulin foods tend to provoke) and dietary insulin load (which also accounts for how much is eaten). They then compared these to several blood-based measures of metabolic health. The main finding was that people with the highest dietary insulin load had slightly lower METS-IR, a marker of insulin resistance, than those with the lowest load. Lower C-peptide was seen in the middle group, but there was no clear trend across groups. The insulin index showed essentially no meaningful links with most markers. This suggests that insulin load may relate more closely to glycemic profile than insulin index does in this group. The authors suggest regular physical activity may buffer the harmful metabolic effects of diets that strongly stimulate insulin. However, this was a one-time snapshot study in a specific, active, healthy group, so it cannot prove cause and effect, and the results may not apply to less active people or other populations.
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Upload Your LabsNikrad N, Farrin N, Farhangi M. (2026). Association of Dietary Insulin Index and Load With Glucose Homeostasis Markers, C-Peptide and Novel Metabolic Indices (TyG-BMI and METS-IR) in Physically Active Young Population.. Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1002/edm2.70382