{"id":21951,"date":"2026-05-20T21:11:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T19:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/uncategorized\/metabolic-support-bundle\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T21:11:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T19:11:34","slug":"metabolic-support-bundle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/blog-en\/metabolic-support-bundle\/","title":{"rendered":"Metabolic support bundle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"background: #2b5040; color: #fff; padding: 60px 40px 52px; max-width: 860px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; background: #d5cd47; color: #162920; font-size: .72rem; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: .14em; text-transform: uppercase; padding: 4px 12px; margin-bottom: 20px;\">NGD Care: Scientific background<\/div>\n<h1 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 2rem; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 18px;\">Metabolic dysregulation in dogs and cats:<br \/>\n from insulin resistance to mitochondrial exhaustion<\/h1>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.05rem; color: rgba(255,255,255,.85); max-width: 620px; border-left: 3px solid #d5cd47; padding-left: 16px;\">Why metabolic dysregulation starts long before the diagnosis of diabetes, how insulin resistance works at the cellular level, what role the gut microbiome plays and why the order of support is mechanistically. Substantiated with literature. <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 20px; font-size: .82rem; color: rgba(255,255,255,.6); letter-spacing: .04em; font-style: italic;\">By Stefan Veenstra DVM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"max-width: 860px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 52px 40px 64px;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">Metabolism as an integrative system<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">The metabolism is often reduced to energy balance: calories in, calories out. This description is not only oversimplified, it is mechanistically misleading. Metabolism is an integrative system in which glucose management, mitochondrial function, immune activation and intestinal physiology are inextricably linked.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Disrupt one component, and the others will follow. This is why metabolic dysregulation rarely responds to single interventions, and why the approach should be phased and systemic. <\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #eaf4ea; border: 1px solid #b0cfb0; padding: 20px 24px; margin: 32px 0;\">\n<p><strong style=\"display: block; color: #2b5040; font-size: .85rem; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .06em; margin-bottom: 10px;\">Background and clinical context<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0; font-size: .88rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">This article forms the scientific basis of the NGD Care Metabolic Bundle. It deals with the overarching mechanisms of metabolic dysregulation. For specific conditions, we refer to the disease blogs on diabetes mellitus, obesity and insulin resistance, fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome in aging animals.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">Insulin resistance: what really happens at the cellular level<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Insulin binds to receptors on the cell membrane and activates a signal transduction cascade that eventually leads to translocation of GLUT4 transporter proteins to the cell surface. GLUT4 is the molecular hatch through which glucose enters the cell. With healthy insulin sensitivity, this works quickly and efficiently.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">In insulin resistance, signal transduction is disrupted. The receptors are present, insulin binds, but the intracellular cascade falters. GLUT4 translocation is delayed and reduced. Glucose remains in circulation while cells signal energy deficiency.   <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">The body reacts in two ways, both of which are harmful in the long run. First: compensatory hyperinsulinemia. The pancreas produces more insulin to compensate for the reduced cell response. This works temporarily but depletes the beta cells and enhances fat storage via insulins lipogenic effect. Second: alternative energy mobilization. In cellular energy deficit, muscle proteins are broken down for gluconeogenesis. Muscle loss in an animal that eats normally is a classic sign of advanced insulin resistance.      <\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.1rem; color: #162920; margin: 32px 0 10px;\">Three mechanisms that disrupt signal transduction<\/h3>\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr; gap: 10px; margin: 20px 0 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #eaf4ea; padding: 16px 18px;\">\n<p><strong style=\"display: block; color: #2b5040; font-size: .85rem; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .06em; margin-bottom: 10px;\">Inflammatory interference<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #4a4a4a; font-size: .88rem;\">Pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly TNF-alpha and IL-6, activate serine kinases that block insulin receptor signaling via phosphorylation of IRS-1 on serine instead of tyrosine. This is the molecular mechanism by which inflammation induces insulin resistance. <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #eaf4ea; padding: 16px 18px;\">\n<p><strong style=\"display: block; color: #2b5040; font-size: .85rem; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .06em; margin-bottom: 10px;\">Lipotoxicity<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #4a4a4a; font-size: .88rem;\">Accumulation of ceramides and diacylglycerol in muscle cells and hepatocytes interferes with PKC activation in the insulin signaling chain. This explains why obesity and fatty liver disease are so strongly associated with insulin resistance. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #eaf4ea; padding: 16px 18px;\">\n<p><strong style=\"display: block; color: #2b5040; font-size: .85rem; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .06em; margin-bottom: 10px;\">Oxidative stress<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #4a4a4a; font-size: .88rem;\">Reactive oxygen species oxidize critical cysteine residues in insulin receptors and downstream signaling molecules. In chronic metabolic load, ROS production exceeds endogenous antioxidant capacity. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">Mitochondrial Dysfunction: The Energetic Core of the Problem<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Mitochondria are more than energy factories. They are central regulators of cellular metabolism, redox balance, and apoptosis. In metabolic dysregulation, they become damaged on three levels.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Reduced substrate flexibility:<\/strong> healthy mitochondria switch smoothly between glucose and fatty acids as an energy source, this is metabolic flexibility. In insulin resistance, glucose oxidation is reduced but fat oxidation is not yet fully compensated. The result is incomplete fatty acid oxidation with accumulation of acylcarnitins that themselves disrupt insulin signaling.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Reduced complex activity:<\/strong> the electron transport chain consists of four protein complexes. Chronic oxidative stress damages the mitochondrial inner membrane and iron-sulfur clusters in complexes I and III. CoQ10 is the electron-carrying compound between complex I\/II and complex III. In metabolic dysregulation, CoQ10 availability is reduced by oxidative depletion.   <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref2\">[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Impaired mitochondrial biogenesis:<\/strong> NAD\u207a is a cosubstrate for sirtuins, specifically SIRT1 and SIRT3, which regulate mitochondrial biogenesis via PGC-1alpha activation. With chronic metabolic load, the NAD\u207a\/NADH ratio decreases, reducing serum activity and reducing the production of new mitochondria. Resveratrol activates SIRT1 and thus improves mitochondrial biogenesis; It has shown direct improvement in insulin sensitivity via this pathway in animal models.  <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref3\">[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">Chronic low-grade inflammation: the self-sustaining cycle<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Metabolic dysregulation and inflammation are not cause and effect: they are mutual reinforcers in a cycle that is difficult to break without addressing both at the same time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Hyperglycemia activates AGE receptors (RAGE):<\/strong> when glucose is chronically elevated, it reacts non-enzymatically with proteins and lipids to form advanced glycation end-products. AGEs bind to RAGE receptors on macrophages and endothelial cells, inducing NF-kB activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. This is the pathway by which subclinical hyperglycemia causes inflammatory damage early on.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Visceral adipose tissue as an endocrine organ:<\/strong> adipocytes produce adipokins including leptin, resistin and TNF-alpha, which enhance insulin resistance. In addition, in the case of obesity, the adipose tissue is infiltrated with pro-inflammatory macrophages that increase the systemic inflammatory state. <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Endotoxemia via the leaky gut:<\/strong> lipopolysaccharide from gram-negative gut bacteria activates TLR4 receptors on immune cells and induces NF-kB-mediated cytokine production. Cani et al. showed that high-fat diet-induced metabolic endotoxemia precedes insulin resistance. <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref4\">[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">The gut-metabolic axis: foundation of the bundle<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">The connection between gut and metabolism goes beyond endotoxemia alone.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), propionate, butyrate and acetate, are produced by fermentation of dietary fiber by the microbiome. They activate the AMPK pathway in intestinal epithelium and liver via GPR41 and GPR43 receptors, improve insulin sensitivity and modulate appetite via GLP-1 secretion. In dysbiosis, SCFA production is reduced, which undermines this metabolic signaling pathway.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Gut bacteria also produce enzymes involved in the conversion of bile acids, which regulate glucose homeostasis via FXR and TGR5 receptors. A disrupted microbiome thus indirectly disrupts glucose regulation through a pathway that is completely unrelated to insulin. <\/p>\n<div style=\"border-left: 4px solid #d5cd47; background: #eaf4ea; padding: 20px 24px; margin: 32px 0; font-size: 1.02rem; color: #2b5040; font-style: italic;\">This is why the NGD Care Metabolic Bundle is inextricably linked to intestinal repair as the first phase. Gut repair is not a preparatory step: it is a mechanistic core element of metabolic repair. <\/div>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">AMPK: the energy sensor that activates the beam<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) is the central energy sensor of the cell. It is activated when the AMP\/ATP ratio increases, in other words, when the cell detects energy deficiency. Activated AMPK stimulates glucose uptake independently of insulin via GLUT4 translocation, increases fat oxidation, inhibits fat storage and stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis via PGC-1alfa.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">AMPK is mechanistically the most interesting target for metabolic dysregulation, precisely because it works independently of the disturbed insulin signaling.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.1rem; color: #162920; margin: 32px 0 10px;\">Para Reset: berberine and NAC as an integrated metabolic formula<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Berberine, the alkaloid from barberry root, among others, activates AMPK via inhibition of complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, which temporarily increases the AMP\/ATP ratio and thus activates AMPK, similar to the mechanism of metformin. It improves glucose uptake in muscle cells, inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis, and positively modulates the gut microbiome via selective inhibition of pathogenic bacteria and promotion of SCFA-producing species. <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">In human clinical studies, berberine reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c similar to metformin, with a more favorable side effect profile. Veterinary studies are limited but the mechanism is cross-species. <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref5\">[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Para Reset combines berberine with NAC in a single formulation. NAC increases glutathione, protects the liver from oxidative metabolic damage that occurs in chronic hyperglycemia and AGE formation, and supports mitochondrial function as a cofactor for the electron transport chain. The combination of AMPK activation via berberine and antioxidative liver protection via NAC addresses two complementary pathways of metabolic damage at once. Within the NGD Care Metabolic Bundle, Para Reset is used as a metabolic regulating supplement. It does not force glucose to lower or replace insulin. In the case of unstable diabetes, veterinary supervision is required.     <\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">Magnesium and stress regulation: Relax Support in the maintenance phase<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Magnesium<\/strong> is cofactor for more than 300 enzymatic reactions, including ATP synthesis and the activation of insulin receptor kinase. Intracellular magnesium is necessary for the tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, which is the first step in the signal transduction cascade. Studies consistently show an inverse relationship between magnesium status and insulin resistance. In metabolic dysregulation, magnesium status is often reduced because chronic insulin resistance increases renal magnesium excretion.   <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref6\">[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Magnesium is available in the NGD Care range through <strong>Relax Support<\/strong>, which contains L-theanine, L-tryptophan and vitamin B6 in addition to magnesium bisglycinate. The combination is mechanistically relevant in metabolic dysregulation: B6 is a cofactor for neurotransmitter synthesis that is additionally consumed in chronic metabolic stress, and tryptophan supports serotonin production that indirectly modulates stress cortisol via the gut-brain axis. Cortisol directly induces insulin resistance via gluconeogenesis, making stress reduction a metabolic intervention.  <\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">The supplements in the bundle mechanistically worked out<\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.1rem; color: #162920; margin: 32px 0 10px;\">Phase 1: Prebiotics, Enzyme Mix 2, Liposomal Vitamin C, Liposomal Curcumin, Myco Immune Complex<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Prebiotics<\/strong> promote sacharolytic fermentation and the production of short-chain fatty acids that activate the AMPK pathway in intestinal epithelium and liver via GPR41 and GPR43 and improve insulin sensitivity. In dysbiosis, almost always present in metabolic dysregulation, this SCFA production is reduced. Prebiotics restore the microbiome balance at the source.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Enzyme mix 2<\/strong> supports the digestion and absorption of nutrients and reduces the metabolic processing load. In metabolic dysregulation, digestion efficiency is reduced by chronic sympathetic dominance that suppresses parasympathetically-controlled digestive function. Better digestion reduces undigested proteins that ferment in the colon into pro-inflammatory metabolites.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Liposomal vitamin C<\/strong> provides antioxidant protection against the oxidative stress that is structurally increased in chronic hyperglycemia and AGE formation. Vitamin C is also a cofactor for carnitine synthesis, essential for fat oxidation in mitochondria. In metabolic dysregulation, fat oxidation is reduced, making carnitine-dependent fatty acid transport to the mitochondrion a relevant target.  <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Liposomal curcumin<\/strong> inhibits NF-kB activation and downregulates pro-inflammatory cytokines that promote IRS-1 serine phosphorylation and block insulin signaling. Curcumin additionally modulates the gut microbiome via selective inhibition of pathogenic species and stimulation of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species, which enhances SCFA production. The liposomal delivery form is mechanistically essential: unbound curcumin has a bioavailability of less than 1 percent.  <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref9b\">[9b]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Myco Immune Complex<\/strong> modulates macrophage polarization via beta-glucans towards an M2 phenotype that lowers the pro-inflammatory state that maintains insulin resistance. As long as the macrophages in visceral adipose tissue and liver cells are polarized to an M1 phenotype, TNF-alpha and IL-6 production will continue to block insulin signaling. Immune modulation in phase 1 is therefore mechanistically necessary in preparation for phase 2.  <\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.1rem; color: #162920; margin: 32px 0 10px;\">Phase 2: Para Reset, Omega-3 Calanus Oil, PEA &#038; Boswellia<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Para Reset (berberine + NAC)<\/strong> is the core of phase 2. Berberine activates AMPK via transient elevation of the AMP\/ATP ratio by inhibiting complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, similar to the mechanism of metformin. Activated AMPK stimulates GLUT4 translocation independent of insulin, increases fat oxidation and inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis. NAC in the same formula increases intracellular glutathione reserves, protects liver and muscle cells from oxidative damage from AGE formation and chronic hyperglycemia, and supports mitochondrial function as a sulfur cofactor. The combination addresses metabolic flexibility and oxidative liver protection at the same time. In case of unstable diabetes, veterinary guidance is required when using Para Reset.     <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref5\">[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Omega-3 Calanus Oil (EPA and DHA)<\/strong> improves cell membrane fluidity and insulin receptor sensitivity via increased phospholipid incorporation into cell membranes. Stiffer membranes in chronic omega-6\/omega-3 imbalance reduce the motility of insulin receptors and thus signal transduction efficiency. EPA and DHA additionally modulate the eicosanoid balance towards anti-inflammatory prostaglandins that dampen macrophage activation in visceral adipose tissue. Muscle preservation via omega-3 is especially relevant in metabolic dysregulation: EPA inhibits proteolytic signaling pathways in muscle cells via reduction of ubiquitin-proteasome activity.   <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref10\">[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>PEA &#038; Boswellia<\/strong> addresses the neuroinflammatory component of metabolic dysregulation. Palmitoylethanolamide activates PPAR-alpha and inhibits mast cell activation and microglial response. In metabolic dysregulation, neuroinflammation via increased circulating cytokines is structurally increased, which induces leptin resistance and interferes with appetite regulation via the hypothalamus. Boswellia inhibits the leukotriene pathway as an additional anti-inflammatory effect. Together, they improve comfort and resilience, relevant in animals with metabolic dysregulation that also show joint complaints or fatigue.    <\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.1rem; color: #162920; margin: 32px 0 10px;\">Phase 3: Longevity Support, Liposomal CoQ10, Relax Support, Liposomal Glutathione<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Longevity Support (NAD\u207a, resveratrol, ergothioneine)<\/strong> restores the mitochondrial capacity that has been structurally reduced with chronic metabolic load. NAD\u207a is a cosubstrate for SIRT1 and SIRT3 that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis via PGC-1alfa and normalize glucose metabolism. In metabolic dysregulation, the NAD\u207a\/NADH ratio decreases due to chronically increased glycolysis and oxidative stress, which reduces serum activity. Resveratrol activates SIRT1 directly and has shown improvement in insulin sensitivity in animal models. Ergothioneine protects mitochondrial membranes in metabolically highly active tissue, particularly skeletal muscle cells and hepatocytes that carry the greatest metabolic load.    <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref3\">[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Liposomal CoQ10<\/strong> is essential for electron transfer in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. In metabolic dysregulation, CoQ10 status is reduced by oxidative depletion and in animals receiving cardiovascular medication, CoQ10 depletion is particularly relevant. Restoration of the mitochondrial electron transport chain improves fat oxidation capacity reduced in insulin resistance.  <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref2\">[2]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Relax Support (magnesium bisglycinate, L-theanine, L-tryptophan, vitamin B6)<\/strong> provides magnesium as a cofactor for insulin receptor kinase and GLUT4 activation. Intracellular magnesium is necessary for the tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor. In metabolic dysregulation, magnesium status is reduced by increased renal excretion via insulin resistance-induced tubular dysfunction. L-tryptophan and B6 support serotonin production which indirectly influences cortisol modulation via the gut-brain axis. Chronic cortisol elevation directly induces insulin resistance via gluconeogenesis, making stress regulation a metabolic intervention.    <sup><a style=\"color: #2b5040;\" href=\"#ref6\">[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Liposomal glutathione<\/strong> is individually tailored based on the oxidative load. In diabetes, liver glutathione is structurally depleted due to chronic AGE formation and oxidative stress. Glutathione is essential for the phase II detoxification of AGE adducts and protects pancreatic beta cells from oxidative apoptosis. Liposomal delivery form for maximum intracellular availability, even in case of compromised intestinal barrier.   <\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">Nutrition in metabolic dysregulation: a critical review<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">The standard recommendation for diabetes and obesity is carbohydrate-restricted diet food, often in kibble format. From the systems biology of metabolic dysregulation, there are mechanistic objections to ultra-processed dry food as a basis, regardless of the carbohydrate content. <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Ultra-processed foods increase the glycemic load of the intestine, stimulate the growth of fermentative bacteria on simple sugars, and decrease the production of butyrate due to lack of fermentable fiber. This undermines SCFA production which improves insulin sensitivity via the gut-metabolic axis. A disrupted microbiome enhances the endotoxemia that maintains insulin resistance via TLR4 activation.  <\/p>\n<div style=\"border: 2px solid #2b5040; padding: 22px 26px; margin: 20px 0;\">\n<p><strong style=\"color: #2b5040; display: block; margin-bottom: 12px;\">Our nutritional advice for metabolic dysregulation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; color: #4a4a4a; font-size: .93rem;\"><strong>Fresh varied meat food as a basis<\/strong> with variation in protein source. High moisture content, no ultra-processed ingredients, maximum microbiome diversity through variety. <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; color: #4a4a4a; font-size: .93rem;\"><strong>Sufficient animal protein for muscle maintenance.<\/strong>  Muscle mass is the largest organ for insulin-independent glucose uptake. Protein restriction in metabolic dysregulation directly exacerbates insulin resistance. <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; color: #4a4a4a; font-size: .93rem;\"><strong>20% ground vegetables<\/strong> for fermentable fibers that feed SCFA-producing bacteria and thereby directly support the gut-metabolic axis.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0; color: #4a4a4a; font-size: .93rem;\"><strong>Fixed meal times<\/strong> support the insulin cycle and reduce metabolic variability. In the case of insulin-dependent diabetes, this is the most direct practical measure in addition to supplementation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 52px 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">Exercise as active therapy<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\"><strong>Muscle tissue is the largest organ for insulin-independent glucose uptake.<\/strong>  GLUT4 expression in muscle tissue is increased by contraction-induced AMPK activation, independent of insulin. This means that regular moderate exercise directly improves insulin sensitivity through a pathway that is also intact in insulin resistance. <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Avoid intense exercise in unstable diabetes because of the risk of hypoglycemia. If you are overweight: gradually build up movement to spare joints. In aging animals with muscle loss: light daily exercise has more effect on muscle maintenance than intensive occasional exercise.  <\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #2b5040; color: #fff; padding: 24px 28px; margin: 32px 0;\">\n<p><strong style=\"color: #d5cd47; display: block; margin-bottom: 8px; font-size: 1rem;\">Why phasing is mechanistically compelling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgba(255,255,255,.88);\">As long as the chronic inflammatory cycle that maintains insulin resistance is active, metabolic support has less effect. LPS-mediated TLR4 activation keeps NF-kB active, which promotes IRS-1 serine phosphorylation and blocks insulin signaling. Stage 1 lowers this inflammatory pressure via intestinal repair and immune modulation. Only then can berberine optimally develop its AMPK-activating effect in phase 2. Mitochondrial repair in stage 3 is also not effective if the oxidative load due to chronic endotoxemia is not reduced.    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #fff; border: 1px solid #c8dbc8; padding: 24px 28px; margin: 32px 0;\">\n<h3 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.1rem; color: #162920; margin: 0 0 10px;\">When does this bundle apply?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #4a4a4a;\">Diabetes mellitus in dogs or cats in addition to insulin. Insulin resistance or subclinical metabolic dysregulation without formal diagnosis. Overweight with reduced metabolic flexibility. Fatty liver or elevated liver values. Muscle loss with normal or increased weight. Chronic fatigue with no apparent cause.     <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0; color: #4a4a4a;\">For specific conditions such as diabetes mellitus, obesity or fatty liver, we refer to the separate condition blogs in the knowledge base.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #162920; color: #fff; padding: 32px 36px; margin-top: 52px;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; color: #d5cd47; margin-top: 0; font-size: 1.35rem; margin-bottom: 12px;\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgba(255,255,255,.88);\">Metabolic dysregulation is a systemic disease in which insulin signaling, mitochondrial function, chronic inflammation, and gut physiology mutually reinforce each other in a cycle that is difficult to break without addressing multiple mechanisms at once.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgba(255,255,255,.88);\">The NGD Care Metabolic Bundle does this in phases: first reducing inflammatory pressure and restoring the gut barrier, then actively supporting metabolic flexibility via AMPK activation and oxidative protection, then consolidating mitochondria and insulin sensitivity over the long term.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: rgba(255,255,255,.88); font-style: italic;\">Insulin regulates glucose. This protocol supports how the body deals with it. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background: #d5cd47; padding: 26px 36px; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; gap: 20px; flex-wrap: wrap;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #162920; font-weight: 500;\">View the NGD Care Metabolic Bundle<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"background: #162920; color: #fff; padding: 11px 26px; font-weight: bold; font-size: .88rem; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: .04em; white-space: nowrap; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/product\/metabool-bundel\/\">To the bundle<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 56px; padding-top: 24px; border-top: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-family: Playfair Display,serif; font-size: 1.5rem; color: #2b5040; margin: 0 0 16px; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 2px solid #eaf4ea;\">Literature<\/h2>\n<ol style=\"font-size: .82rem; color: #666; line-height: 1.6;\">\n<li id=\"ref1\">Hotamisligil GS et al. Adipose expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha: direct role in obesity-linked insulin resistance.   <em>Science.<\/em>  1993; 259(5091):87-91.<\/li>\n<li id=\"ref2\">Crane FL. Biochemical functions of coenzyme Q10.   <em>J Am Coll Nutr.<\/em>  2001; 20(6):591-598.<\/li>\n<li id=\"ref3\">Howitz KT et al. Small molecule activators of sirtuins extend Saccharomyces cerevisiae lifespan.   <em>Nature.<\/em>  2003;425:191-196.<\/li>\n<li id=\"ref4\">Cani PD et al. Metabolic endotoxemia initiates obesity and insulin resistance.   <em>Diabetes.<\/em>  2007; 56(7):1761-1772. doi:10.2337\/db06-1491. <\/li>\n<li id=\"ref5\">Yin J et al. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.   <em>Metabolism.<\/em>  2008; 57(5):712-717. doi:10.1016\/j.metabol.2008.01.013. <\/li>\n<li id=\"ref6\">Guerrero-Romero F &#038; Rodriguez-Moran M. Magnesium improves the beta-cell function to compensate variation of insulin sensitivity.  <em>Eur J Clin Invest.<\/em>  2011; 41(4):405-410.<\/li>\n<li id=\"ref7\">Guerrero-Romero F &#038; Rodriguez-Moran M. Magnesium improves the beta-cell function to compensate variation of insulin sensitivity.  <em>Eur J Clin Invest.<\/em>  2011; 41(4):405-410. [Magnesium status and insulin resistance; magnesium bisglycinate as a bioavailable form] <\/li>\n<li id=\"ref8\">Canto C &#038; Auwerx J. PGC-1alpha, SIRT1 and AMPK, an energy sensing network that controls energy expenditure.  <em>Curr Opin Lipidol.<\/em>  2009; 20(2):98-105.<\/li>\n<li id=\"ref9\">Lee YS et al. Inflammation is necessary for long-term but not short-term high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance.   <em>Diabetes.<\/em>  2011; 60(10):2474-2483.<\/li>\n<li id=\"ref9b\">Shen L, Liu L, Ji HF. Regulatory effects of curcumin spice administration on gut microbiota and its pharmacological implications. <em>Food Nutr Res.<\/em> 2017; 61(1):1361780. <\/li>\n<li id=\"ref10\">Smith GI et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids augment the muscle protein anabolic response to hyperinsulinaemia-hyperaminoacidaemia in healthy young and middle-aged men and women.   <em>Clin Sci.<\/em>  2011; 121(6):267-278.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: .8rem; color: #888; font-style: italic; margin-top: 32px; padding-top: 16px; border-top: 1px solid #ddd;\">This information is educational in nature and based on available scientific literature. The studies mentioned are not always directly veterinary or specific to the formulation described here. This text does not replace a veterinary consultation and does not contain any therapeutic claims.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NGD Care: Scientific background Metabolic dysregulation in dogs and cats: from insulin resistance to mitochondrial exhaustion Why metabolic dysregulation starts long before the diagnosis of diabetes, how insulin resistance works at the cellular level, what role the gut microbiome plays and why the order of support is mechanistically. Substantiated with literature. By Stefan Veenstra DVM &#8230; <a title=\"Metabolic support bundle\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/blog-en\/metabolic-support-bundle\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Metabolic support bundle\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21952,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[178,8537],"tags":[11688,11689,11687,11691,11686,11692,11685,11636,11695,11693,11690,11694,7747],"class_list":["post-21951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","category-integrative-veterinary-medicine","tag-ampk","tag-berberine","tag-diabetes","tag-gut-metabolic-axis","tag-insulin-resistance","tag-longevity-support","tag-metabolic-dysregulation","tag-mitochondria","tag-nf-kb","tag-nutrition","tag-para-reset","tag-scfa","tag-stefan-veenstra-dvm","infinite-scroll-item"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ngdcare.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}