Insulin Resistance: Understanding Its Impact on Health and Weight

What is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance is a condition where cells in your body don't respond effectively to the hormone insulin. This can lead to high blood sugar levels and is often associated with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic disorders. Understanding insulin resistance is crucial for managing health and weight.

The Role of Insulin in the Body

Insulin plays a vital role in regulating blood sugar and energy storage in the body. When we eat carbohydrates, our blood sugar levels rise, triggering the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key, unlocking cells to allow glucose to enter and be used for energy or stored for later use.

In a healthy metabolism, insulin helps maintain stable blood sugar levels and promotes efficient energy utilization. However, when insulin resistance develops, this process becomes disrupted.

Causes of Insulin Resistance

Several factors can contribute to the development of insulin resistance:

• Excess body fat: Particularly visceral fat around the abdomen
• Lack of physical activity: Sedentary lifestyles reduce insulin sensitivity
• Poor diet: High intake of refined carbohydrates and processed foods
• Chronic stress: Elevated cortisol levels can interfere with insulin function
• Genetics: Some people may be more predisposed to insulin resistance
• Sleep deprivation: Poor sleep quality can affect hormone balance
• Certain medications: Some drugs can impact insulin sensitivity

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance often develops gradually and may not have obvious symptoms in its early stages. However, some signs that may indicate insulin resistance include:

• Weight gain, especially around the midsection
• Difficulty losing weight despite diet and exercise efforts
• Fatigue and low energy levels
• Increased hunger and cravings for carbohydrates
• High blood pressure
• Elevated triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol

Diagnosing insulin resistance typically involves blood tests to measure fasting insulin levels, glucose tolerance, and other metabolic markers. However, it's important to note that measuring insulin levels can be tricky, as explained by Dr. Benjamin Bikman:

"Measuring insulin in the morning is probably one of the worst times. That's why I kind of described that there's that bit of that gray area that kind of orange light range or yellow light range where insulin might be a problem or it might not be... When we're waking up in the morning we will have higher cortisol levels naturally, which starts to just mobilize the glucose to get ready for the brain to come back online... but also insulin can start to climb in response to that glucose climb."

This highlights the complexity of accurately assessing insulin levels and the importance of considering multiple factors when evaluating metabolic health.

The Impact of Insulin Resistance on Health

Insulin resistance can have far-reaching effects on overall health:

Weight Gain and Difficulty Losing Weight

One of the most noticeable impacts of insulin resistance is its effect on body weight. Dr. Bikman explains:

"Insulin is the hormone that sends that signal. So this is my really long-winded way of just saying I have right now down the hallway in my lab fat cells growing in petri dishes... Those fat cells when we first plate them and they're sticking to the cell to the bottom of the dish, they are in a bath of tons of calories, tons of fat and tons of glucose, everything a fat cell wants in order to grow, but it stays small until we do one single thing, which is add insulin into the culture."

This illustrates how high insulin levels promote fat storage and make it challenging to lose weight.

Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Insulin resistance is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. As the body becomes less responsive to insulin, blood sugar levels rise, eventually leading to diabetes if left unchecked.

Cardiovascular Health

Insulin resistance is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. It often goes hand-in-hand with other cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Metabolic Syndrome

Insulin resistance is a key component of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Insulin resistance can contribute to the development of fatty liver disease, even in people who don't drink alcohol excessively.

Strategies to Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Improving insulin sensitivity is crucial for overall health and weight management. Here are some effective strategies:

Dietary Approaches

Control Carbohydrate Intake

Dr. Bikman emphasizes the importance of managing carbohydrate intake:

"Macros matter most. If you can just focus on one thing, focus on getting your macronutrients... For me, it's very simply control carbs. So don't get your carbs from bags and boxes with barcodes. As much as you can, whole fruits and vegetables depending on your overall scenario."

Reducing intake of refined carbohydrates and focusing on whole, unprocessed foods can help stabilize blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.

Prioritize Protein and Healthy Fats

"Prioritize protein and don't fear the fat that comes with that protein and just don't fear fat in general. But as a reminder, in nature all protein comes with fat. There's no exception."

Adequate protein intake is essential for maintaining muscle mass and supporting metabolic health. Healthy fats, particularly those found in whole foods like nuts, avocados, and fatty fish, can help improve insulin sensitivity.

Consider Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting can be an effective tool for improving insulin sensitivity. Dr. Bikman discusses two types of fasting:

"There are two types of fasts. One which is a kind of true classic fast where you're not eating or drinking any calories that I call a caloric fast. And then what you and I are just describing is what I call a metabolic fast."

A metabolic fast allows for some fat consumption while still maintaining low insulin levels, potentially offering benefits for insulin sensitivity and metabolic health.

Exercise and Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is crucial for improving insulin sensitivity. Both aerobic exercise and resistance training can help:

• Aerobic exercise: Activities like walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming can improve insulin sensitivity and help manage blood sugar levels.
• Resistance training: Building muscle mass through strength training can increase the body's capacity to utilize glucose effectively.

Stress Management

Chronic stress can contribute to insulin resistance. Implementing stress-reduction techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga can help improve overall metabolic health.

Improve Sleep Quality

Poor sleep can negatively impact insulin sensitivity. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night and establish a consistent sleep schedule.

Cold Therapy

Dr. Bikman discusses the potential benefits of cold exposure:

"With cold immersion, yeah, I mean the results are really remarkable across the board... There are two mechanisms that cold therapy will engage. One which is shivering induced thermogenesis and then it's mitochondrial uncoupling."

Cold therapy, such as cold showers or ice baths, may help improve metabolic health and insulin sensitivity, though more research is needed in this area.

The Role of Ketones in Metabolic Health

Ketones, produced when the body is in a state of ketosis, can have beneficial effects on metabolic health and insulin sensitivity. Dr. Bikman explains:

"Ketones are the preferred brain fuel... When a person was in ketosis and we did human fat biopsies, that their metabolic rate from their fat tissue was three times higher than when they weren't in ketosis."

This suggests that being in a state of ketosis, either through a ketogenic diet or intermittent fasting, may have positive effects on metabolism and fat burning.

Environmental Factors and Insulin Resistance

It's important to consider environmental factors that may contribute to insulin resistance:

"We've published papers working with my colleague Dr. Paul Reynolds. We just published a paper late last year actually finding this was an animal study where when these animals were exposed to diesel exhaust particles, even when they ate the exact same amount of food as their litter mates just exposed to normal room air, their fat cells got significantly bigger."

This highlights the potential impact of environmental pollutants on metabolic health and the importance of considering factors beyond just diet and exercise.

The Debate on Seed Oils and Insulin Resistance

There is ongoing debate about the role of seed oils, particularly those high in linoleic acid, in promoting insulin resistance. Dr. Bikman offers a nuanced perspective:

"The connection between seed oils and insulin resistance, I do not believe that it's a direct effect... You can incubate cells with linoleic acid and they will not become insulin resistant."

However, he notes that the metabolites of linoleic acid may have indirect effects on fat cell growth and inflammation:

"When linoleic acid gets converted to these more reactive molecules like 4-HNE in a fat cell, it forces the fat cell to grow through hypertrophy rather than proliferating through hyperplasia. And the difference there is that if you have more fat cells but they're small, then you're insulin sensitive from the level of the fat tissue at least, because small fat cells are insulin sensitive and happy fat cells."

This suggests that while seed oils may not directly cause insulin resistance, their metabolic effects could contribute to unfavorable changes in fat tissue that indirectly impact insulin sensitivity.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Metabolic Health

Improving insulin sensitivity and overall metabolic health requires a multifaceted approach. While managing macronutrients, particularly carbohydrates, is crucial, it's also important to consider factors like physical activity, stress management, sleep quality, and environmental exposures.

Dr. Bikman summarizes this holistic approach:

"Macros matter most. And then all these other kind of more micro influences, that's not to say they're irrelevant. They matter. But thankfully if a person is eating fewer carbohydrates, that is the most offensive macronutrient source... If you are just managing your macros, you are, I believe, addressing the variable that matters most."

By focusing on these key areas and making sustainable lifestyle changes, it's possible to improve insulin sensitivity, manage weight more effectively, and reduce the risk of metabolic disorders. As research in this field continues to evolve, staying informed and working with healthcare professionals can help individuals tailor strategies to their unique needs and health goals.

Article created from: https://youtu.be/NOVHg0veeFY?feature=shared