Doctors have long known that fasting exacerbates porphyria, an inherited disease marked by psychotic episodes. They’ve also known that glucose infusions, which induce insulin secretion, can mitigate the attacks.
Researchers report in the Aug. 26 Cell that a protein called PGC-1-alpha is the linchpin connecting fasting, glucose, and insulin with porphyria episodes.
Porphyria probably caused the madness of King George III (SN: 8/6/05, p.
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