blood sugar control

inflammation & autoimmunity

TNF

A Gene Linking Inflammation & Blood Sugar (TNF)

Written by Jasmine Foster, BSc, BEd on October 9th, 2020

The TNF gene has been implicated in a variety of inflammatory conditions. How is it connected with blood sugar control? Read on to learn more.

Summary

TNF encodes tumor necrosis factor-alpha, an inflammatory cytokine. Variants of TNF may play a role in blood sugar by increasing insulin resistance. Lifestyle and diet modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by decreasing TNF-alpha production.

TNF and Blood Sugar

The TNF gene encodes a protein called tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha or cachexin). TNF-alpha plays a central role in the immune response and inflammation, and it has been implicated in a wide variety of inflammatory disorders [R].

TNF-alpha has a close relationship with insulin and blood sugar. In people with type 2 diabetes, blood levels of TNF-alpha are closely linked to insulin resistance. In fact, some researchers believe that rising TNF-alpha levels directly increase blood sugar and are a prerequisite for the development of type 2 diabetes [R, R].

To make matters worse, there appears to be a feedback loop between TNF-alpha and blood sugar. High TNF-alpha promotes insulin resistance, and high blood sugar promotes the production of TNF-alpha. This loop can be difficult to break, especially if you have high-expression variants of the TNF gene [R].

TNF encodes an inflammatory cytokine that may increase insulin resistance and worsen blood glucose control.

Your TNF Results for Blood Sugar

SNP Table

variant	genotype	frequency	risk allele
rs2857605
rs1800629
rs2229094

TNF rs2857605

‘C’ = Not associated with abnormal blood sugar
‘T’ = Associated with increased blood sugar
The ‘T’ allele may increase TNF-alpha production, leading to insulin resistance and poor blood glucose control [R].

TNF rs1800629

‘G’ = Not associated with abnormal blood sugar
‘A’ = Associated with increased blood sugar
The ‘A’ allele may increase TNF-alpha production, leading to insulin resistance and poor blood glucose control [R].

TNF rs2229094

‘T’ = Not associated with abnormal blood sugar
‘C’ = Associated with increased blood sugar
The ‘C’ allele may increase TNF-alpha production, leading to insulin resistance and poor blood glucose control [R].

Recommendations

Lifestyle

Exercise

Although TNF-alpha levels can actually increase immediately after exercise (especially after vigorous physical activity), regular exercise decreases TNF-associated inflammation in the long run [R, R, R, R].

Physical activity is a great way to manage blood glucose levels, and it becomes more effective with greater intensity and duration. Muscle activity burns glucose for energy and makes cells more sensitive to insulin [R, R, R, R, R].

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Research shows that TNF-alpha levels are directly linked to weight. More specifically, blood levels of TNF-alpha appear to increase as abdominal fat increases [R, R].

This is because fat (adipose) tissue may stimulate the expression and production of TNF-alpha. Reducing weight may lead to lower levels of TNF-alpha and inflammation [R, R].

Being overweight or obese is the number one risk factor for high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Even a slight weight reduction can be beneficial [R, R, R].

The single most important thing that can help you lose weight is to consume fewer calories. Multiple studies show the effectiveness of calorie restriction in lowering blood glucose and insulin resistance [R, R, R, R].

For personalized weight loss recommendations based on your genes, check out our Weight Loss DNA Wellness Report.

People who maintain a healthy weight and physical fitness have lower TNF-alpha and better blood sugar control than those who are overweight and unfit.

Diet

Olive Oil

Olive oil is a healthy, anti-inflammatory fat and has been found to reduce TNF-alpha after mealtimes [R].

Including olive oil in the diet may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 16%. The Mediterranean diet, which uses olive oil as its main source of fat, is recommended to improve blood sugar control [R, R].

In a clinical trial of overweight and diabetic people, adding olive oil to their diet significantly reduced their fasting blood sugar and improved metabolic control. In another trial on older adults with diabetes, an olive oil-containing diet prevented them from losing their eyesight [R, R].

Garlic

According to a meta-analysis of clinical studies, people who consume a significant amount of garlic (in their diets or as supplements) have less circulating TNF-alpha than those who do not [R].

Multiple studies in both animals and humans have found that consuming garlic may also improve blood sugar control [R, R].

Olive oil and garlic are anti-inflammatory foods that have been found to decrease both TNF-alpha and blood sugar.

Jasmine Foster

BSc, BEd

Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.

Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.

Disclaimer

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other official medical body. This information is presented for educational purposes only, and may not be used to diagnose or treat any illness or disease.

Also keep in mind that the “Risk Score” presented in this post is based only on a select number of SNPs, and therefore only represents a small portion of your total risk as an individual. Furthermore, these analyses are based primarily on associational studies, which do not necessarily imply causation. Finally, many other (non-genetic) factors can also play a significant role in the development of a disease or health condition — therefore, carrying any of the risk-associated genotypes discussed in this post does not necessarily mean you are at increased risk of developing a major health condition.

Always consult your doctor before acting on any information or recommendations discussed in this post — especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have been officially diagnosed with a medical condition.

More inflammation & autoimmunity blogs

How to Combat Histamine Intolerance Through Genetics (DAO) Are You Genetically Vulnerable to High Brain Histamine, Migraines, or ADHD? (HNMT) How to Tell if You’re Lectin Sensitive Using Your Genetic Data (CNR1) Are You Sensitive to Lectins? (MTHFR) Fight Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Brain Fog (PARP1) Is This Gene Causing Your Autoimmune Problems? (PTPN22) Are You Genetically Susceptible to Post-Treatment Lyme? (ABCB1) A Key Genetic Player in Autoimmunity (HLA-B) Is This Inflammation Gene Reducing Your Intelligence? (TNFSF9) Can You Manage Allergies and Asthma by Balancing Methylation? (MTHFR)

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