Study Reveals Your Brain Burns Fat at Night to Prevent Sugar Crashes - Video

A recent study published in Molecular Metabolism by researchers at the University of Michigan has identified a specific group of neurons in the hypothalamus that help maintain blood glucose levels during everyday activities. Unlike previous research focused on stress-related glucose regulation, this study explored how the brain controls blood sugar under normal, day-to-day conditions.

The researchers focused on special neurons called VMHCckbr found in a brain area called the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), which also helps control hunger and body temperature. They used mice to study what happens when these neurons are turned off. They discovered that these neurons play an important role in keeping blood sugar stable, especially during the first few hours after going to sleep. These neurons help prevent low blood sugar at night by telling the body to burn fat. The fat breaks down into a substance called glycerol, which is used to make sugar (glucose). When the neurons were activated in mice, glycerol levels went up, showing that these brain cells control fat burning. This could explain why people with prediabetes have more fat burning at night, which might cause higher blood sugar.

Dr. Alison Affinati, who led the study, explained that controlling blood sugar is not simple. Many groups of neurons work together quietly during normal times and more actively during emergencies.

The team is now studying how these and other neurons work together to manage blood sugar during different situations like eating, fasting, or stress. The findings help us understand how the brain and body work together to keep blood sugar balanced and could lead to new treatments for diabetes.

References: Jiaao Su, Abdullah Hashsham, Nandan Kodur, Carla Burton, Amanda Mancuso, Anjan Singer, Jennifer Wloszek, Abigail J. Tomlinson, Warren T. Yacawych, Jonathan N. Flak, Kenneth T. Lewis, Lily R. Oles, Hiroyuki Mori, Nadejda Bozadjieva-Kramer, Adina F. Turcu, Ormond A. MacDougald, Martin G. Myers, Alison H. Affinati. Control of physiologic glucose homeostasis via hypothalamic modulation of gluconeogenic substrate availability. Molecular Metabolism, 2025; 99: 102216 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2025.102216