Insulin has an important function and is essential for life. It helps glucose get into cells so they can use it for energy. On the other hand, high insulin levels make it harder to shed body fat. That’s why so many experts stress the importance of eating low-glycemic foods that don’t cause insulin to spike. Some people who are overweight and have problems shedding body fat are insulin resistant, meaning their cells are less responsive to the insulin they produce. This causes their pancreas to churn out more insulin after a meal. This keeps their body in fat-storage mode, making it difficult to lose body fat.
Researchers have long known that insulin is a fat-storage hormone, and the greatest amount of insulin is released after a meal rich in high-glycemic carbs. Once those carbohydrates are broken down to glucose, insulin unlocks the cell door so glucose can enter the cell. What can’t be used for energy immediately is stored as a source of reserve fuel for later. You can only store about 500 grams of glucose as glycogen, so the rest of it is stored as fat. It’s insulin’s job to make sure cells have enough fuel and fuel reserves so when glycogen stores are full, the excess can be stockpiled as adipose tissue.
Insulin also blocks the mobilization of fat stores. When insulin levels are high after a meal or chronically in the case of people with insulin resistance, it blocks the breakdown of fat stores. That’s a problem if you’re trying to lose body fat. High insulin levels and insulin resistance can make it difficult to make any headway when it comes to shedding excess body fat.
How Insulin Blocks Body Fat Loss
Researchers at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine made an interesting finding. They discovered the mechanism by which insulin blocks the breakdown of fat. There’s a group of hormones called catecholamines that your body pumps out in response to stress. The best-known of these hormones is adrenaline, the fight-or-flight hormone. Adrenalin is activated when you’re startled, under stress or when your energy stores dwindle.
Catecholamines stimulate the breakdown of fat. This makes sense since you want to mobilize your energy stores when you’re stressed, in danger or when your energy is dropping. Catecholamine hormones help your body release fat to be used to make energy. One way insulin makes it hard to shed body fat is it blocks the action of these hormones on fat cells so body fat can’t mobilize as easily.
Normally insulin and catecholamine levels are balanced so there isn’t significantly more of one than the other, but people who are insulin resistant pump out so much insulin it throws this delicate balance off, blocking the ability of catecholamines to mobilize body fat. That can spell trouble for your waistline.
Keeping Insulin in Check
If you’re gaining weight, especially around your mid-section, you may be experiencing the effects of insulin resistance or an insulin-catecholamine imbalance. What are some ways to correct this problem?
Eliminate processed, packaged foods, simple sugars, and carbohydrates that are low in fiber from your diet as much as possible to reduce insulin spikes after a meal. Increase the amount of fiber and protein in your diet to help stabilize insulin levels.
When you do eat high-glycemic carbohydrates, eat them right after a workout or first thing in the morning when your insulin sensitivity is highest.
Do high-intensity exercise and strength-training. Exercise stimulates the release of catecholamines and helps to correct an insulin/catecholamine imbalance.
Make sure you’re getting at least seven hours of sleep a night. Research shows that even one night of inadequate sleep can trigger insulin resistance and elevated insulin levels. If you’re chronically sleep-deprived, your insulin levels will be higher, making it hard to lose body fat.
Add a pinch of cinnamon to your morning oatmeal or coffee. An ingredient in cinnamon called methyl hydroxy-chalcone polymer in cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity. All you need to get the benefits is about a half-teaspoon a day.
The Bottom Line?
Insulin performs a necessary function, but you need to keep it in balance. Reduce foods in your diet that trigger insulin spikes and replace them with fiber-rich foods and lean protein. Increase the intensity of your exercise sessions and make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night. Sweeten things up with a little cinnamon to help your cells respond better to insulin. Do these things consistently and it’ll be easier to shed those stubborn pounds of body fat.
References:
Science Daily. “One Sleepless Night Can Induce Insulin Resistance in Healthy People”
United States Department of Agriculture. “Cinnamon Extracts “Boost Insulin Sensitivity”
Arch Biochem Biophys. 2010 Sep 1;501(1):158-61. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2010.05.032. Epub 2010 May 31.
USCD News. “UCSD Study Sheds New Light on Insulin’s Role in Blocking Fat Breakdown in Patients with Type II Diabetes”
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