Research shows skeleton to be endocrine organ

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Osteocalcin produced by cells in bone interacts with beta cells in the pancreas and fat cells to improve the bodys ability to handle sugar and keep fat mass low. Credit: Nancy Heim Columbia University Medical Center August 2007
Osteocalcin produced by cells in bone interacts with beta cells in the pancreas and fat cells to improve the body's ability to handle sugar and keep fat mass low. Credit: Nancy Heim, Columbia University Medical Center, August 2007

Bones are typically thought of as calcified, inert structures, but researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have now identified a surprising and critically important novel function of the skeleton. They’ve shown for the first time that the skeleton is an endocrine organ that helps control our sugar metabolism and weight and, as such, is a major determinant of the development of type 2 diabetes.


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