Macronutrient specific postprandial oxidative stress: relevance to the development of insulin resistance.

The prevalence of obesity and its associated disorders [e.g., insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD)] has seen a rapid increase in recent years. As such, understanding the mechanisms underlying diet-induced insulin resistance has been a topic of interest. In line with this notion, postprandial oxidative stress has received considerable attention over the past several years due to its involvement in the etiology of the above mentioned conditions. In fact, postprandial oxidative stress has been suggested to be the unifying mechanism in the connection between insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes and CVD. In addition to this growing association, recent data are now available suggesting a causal role for such prooxidant stress in the development of insulin resistance. This review is intended to provide an overview of literature pertaining to the role of free radical production following feeding, as related to the development of insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes and CVD.