and following a typical meal, blood glucose levels mayrise to 150% of fasting levels. The increase in blood glucose is a major stimulus for the release of insulin from the pancreas, but increases in plasma amio acids during the digestion of a high-protein meal can also stimulate insulin release. Insulin affects carbohydrate, amino acid (protein), and lipid metabolism during the absorptive period, and it is considered the primary endocrine regulator of metab