Pharmacology & biology
Incretin
A gut hormone released after eating that amplifies insulin secretion — GLP-1 and GIP are the two main human incretins.
In plain terms
The incretin effect is the observation that oral glucose triggers far more insulin release than the same glucose given intravenously. The gut, in other words, tells the pancreas that food is coming.
Incretin-based drugs exploit this. Crucially, they amplify glucose-dependent insulin release, which is why they carry a much lower intrinsic hypoglycaemia risk than insulin itself.
Compounds where this comes up
Guides that use this term
Educational reference only. Pepperz does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, prescribing guidance, or dosing recommendations.