Which mechanism delays carbohydrate absorption?

• A. Mimic incretin hormones
• B. Improve insulin secretion
• C. Delay carb absorption
• D. Replace insulin

Answer: (C)

Delaying carbohydrate absorption means slowing how quickly glucose from a meal enters the bloodstream by interfering with the digestion of carbohydrates in the gut. Drugs that do this, such as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, work by inhibiting the intestinal enzymes that break down complex carbohydrates, so glucose appears more gradually in the blood after a meal and postprandial glucose rises are reduced. This direct action on the digestive process is why delaying carb absorption is the best description of the mechanism.

The other ideas focus on insulin dynamics—either mimicking hormones that boost insulin response, improving insulin secretion, or supplying insulin itself. Those approaches influence insulin levels or action, not the rate at which carbohydrates are digested and absorbed in the gut.