Grant: Project Grant - PA: Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes

Over 3 million Canadians have type 2 diabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are too high. High blood sugar damages blood vessels and other organs contributing to disability and early death. Our objective is to test whether a newly invented nutritional drink that contains molecules called "ketones" can lower blood sugar and improve blood vessel function in people with type 2 diabetes. Ketones are naturally made by our bodies as a source of energy during times of starvation. In preliminary research we have recently discovered that ketones might also have the ability to lower blood sugar and reduce the toxic effects of high blood sugar. After consuming this new ketone drink blood ketone levels rise quickly (within 30 minutes), which will allow us to be the first to test whether the ketone drink can lower blood sugar and improve the health of people with type 2 diabetes.