TOO much insulin may be bad for our health, turning the received wisdom about diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease on its head. Mice genetically engineered so that their brains don’t respond to insulin live longer and are less likely than normal mice to develop age-related diseases similar to Alzheimer’s.
Insulin plays a key role in encouraging the uptake and storage of glucose by cells. Its effects on the brain are less clear, but previous studies suggested that the hormone may stave off age-related degeneration.
“Everybody says insulin is good for you. It keeps cells alive,” says Morris White of the Children’s Hospital in Boston. “But reviews are…
