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Incretin

An incretin is a hormone the gut releases after you eat that tells the pancreas to release insulin. The two main ones are GLP-1 and GIP. Because of them, food you swallow triggers more insulin than the same amount of sugar given straight into a vein.

For experts

Incretins are gut peptides secreted after nutrient intake that potentiate glucose-dependent insulin secretion; GIP (K cells) and GLP-1 (L cells) are the known incretin hormones. The incretin effect is a two- to three-fold higher insulin response to oral than to intravenous glucose, and it is diminished in type 2 diabetes. Incretin-based therapies include GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors.

Sources (2)

  1. 01Incretin hormones: Their role in health and diseaseDiabetes, Obesity and Metabolism (indexed in PubMed, NCBI/NLM) · 2018-02 · accessed 2026-09-29
  2. 02Pharmacology, physiology, and mechanisms of incretin hormone actionCell Metabolism (indexed in PubMed, NCBI/NLM) · 2013-06-04 · accessed 2026-09-29