December 18, 2017

Could A Protein be to Blame for Anxiety and Diabetes?

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

A protein, FKBP51, has been associated with anxiety and diabetes, as it contributes to the regulation of the stress system.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a life-threatening disease that causes your blood sugar and triglycerides to become continuously and severely elevated. This excess circulating blood sugar is very destructive, causing inflammation in the heart and circulatory system, as well as in the eyes, brain, kidneys and nerve tissue.

Diabetes occurs when your cells become resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin, which normally stores sugar in your cells. Type 2 diabetes is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.

More information about Diabetes >>

Anxiety

It’s normal to feel stressed and overwhelmed periodically. But overwhelming anxiety and constant worry can take a major toll on your body and mind. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. The association also reports that anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events.

Here are some healthy, natural ways to help relieve mild anxiety >>

FKBP51 Protein

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications by researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany, have found that a protein called FKBP51 may also play a role in triggering type 2 diabetes.

The protein has been associated with both anxiety and depression, as it contributes to the regulation of the stress system. “When the gene that controls the production of FKBP51 suffers a mutation, this can lead to dysregulation of the stress system, which in turn, can cause mental health disorders.”

Lead researcher of the study, Mathias Schmidt, note that the FKBP51 protein also contributes to forming a molecular link between the stress system and the regulation of various metabolic functions, which may make it responsible for the onset of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.