Hibernating bears may hold the secret to curing diabetes

By feeding honey water to bears, researchers have discovered the potential genetic key to their insulin control. This advance could lead to a remedial treatment for a disease that affects almost ten per cent of the world’s adult population.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why humans aren’t able to consume tens of thousands of calories a day to bulk up before taking a very long nap, you’re not alone.

It’s a phenomenon that’s had scientists scratching their heads for decades, long-questioning why the same behaviour doesn’t cause diabetes in bears the way it would us if we were to rapidly gain a lot of weight then suddenly stop moving for months on end.

This week, however, researchers at Washington State University made a breakthrough.

By feeding honey water to the drowsy mammals, they discovered the potential key to their insulin control. The results could ultimately lead to a remedial treatment for a disease that affects almost ten per cent of the world’s adult population and can cause heart attacks, strokes, and blindness.

‘This is progress toward getting a better understanding of what’s happening at the genetic level and identifying specific molecules that are controlling insulin resistance in bears,’ explains Blair Perry, the study’s co-first author and a WSU post-doctoral researcher.

‘There’s inherent value to studying the diversity of life around us and all of these unique and strange adaptations that have arisen.’

Insulin is a hormone found in most warm-blooded creatures that regulates the body’s blood sugar levels by telling the liver, muscle, and fat cells to absorb this source of energy.