Dolphins and diabetes: applying one health for breakthrough discoveries.

Stephanie Venn-Watson

doi:10.3389/fendo.2014.00227

Abstract

Dolphins and diabetes: applying one health for breakthrough discoveries.

Highlights

These metabolic switches in dolphins were initially believed to be limited to a natural, non-pathologic state
The carnivore hypothesis proposes that insulin resistance in humans evolved to sustain adequate glucose levels when few dietary carbohydrates were available during the Ice Age [13]
This evolutionary driver for insulin resistance coincides well with the movement of dolphins from land to sea and their similar dietary shift from a high carbohydrate to high protein diet [14]. This Frontiers in Endocrinology Research Topic, “Marine Mammals as Out-of-the-box Models for Diabetes and Insulin Resistance,” brings together novel science and sage thoughts from multiple disciplines of experts who sought to expand our knowledge of dolphin metabolism, metabolic disease, and their relevance to human health

Summary

Introduction

These metabolic switches in dolphins were initially believed to be limited to a natural, non-pathologic state. That dolphins can develop metabolic syndrome, a disease called prediabetes in humans, which affects one of every three adults in the U.S [4,5,6,7,8,9,10].

Results

Conclusion