Insulin resistance is a pervasive condition that is growing in prevalence in modern society. Despite this, the scientific community still lacks a complete understanding of this complex metabolic disorder that affects millions of people worldwide and has a significant impact on collective health. Yet, we need to tackle this beast to slay age-shortening health problems like obesity type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease that insulin resistance contributes to.
What Is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that is essential for controlling blood sugar levels. When you eat carbohydrates and foods that contain carbohydrates, your body converts them into glucose, which enters your bloodstream via your intestinal tract. It must then enter your cells for them to use to produce energy.
Specialized cells in your pancreas produce insulin to help your cells absorb glucose from your bloodstream. Insulin is like a key that opens the channels that allow glucose into your cells. Insulin resistance causes cells to become less responsive to insulin, allowing glucose levels in the bloodstream to remain elevated for longer periods.
Insulin resistance can have serious consequences for one’s health, including an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other metabolic disorders. Not only does this deprive your cells of energy, but it also creates advanced glycation end-products (AGE), complexes produced by sugar tissues reacting with sugars. AGEs are associated with aging.
Why Insulin Resistance Is Risky
Insulin resistance is also called metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, early diabetes, and pre-diabetes, and is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Having insulin resistance raises the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. When you have insulin resistance, you’re also at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Many people with insulin resistance don’t have symptoms and may not realize they have it until they develop prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. It is important to note that insulin resistance is not the same as Type 2 diabetes. It occurs before this condition develops. The good news? You can often manage and even reverse it through lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and being more physically active.
Risk Factors for Developing Insulin Resistance
Genetics is a factor in who develops insulin resistance. If you have family members with type 2 diabetes, you’re more likely to develop insulin resistance. Beyond genetics, the biggest risk factor is obesity. Fat cells release chemicals called cytokines that fuel insulin resistance.
When you carry excess weight, your fat cells release chemicals called cytokines into your bloodstream. These chemicals can cause insulin resistance, making it more difficult for your body to use insulin to control blood sugar levels. You can reduce your risk of insulin resistance and improve your overall health by maintaining a healthy weight through a balanced diet and regular exercise. Losing as little as 10% of your body weight can reduce inflammation and improve how your cells respond to insulin.
Age is another factor that contributes to insulin resistance. The age-related decline in insulin sensitivity is due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, including changes in hormone levels, physical activity, and body composition.
Visceral Fat Is Pro-Inflammatory
Visceral fat, deep belly fat, is the most potent producer of cytokines. So having a large waist size, a marker of more visceral fat, is a risk factor for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health, a waist size larger than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men is an indicator of excess visceral fat. Visceral fat is the riskiest to your health.
A diet high in fructose and high-fructose corn syrup seems to worsen insulin resistance. Table sugar is half glucose and half fructose. There’s also some evidence that artificial sweeteners fuel insulin resistance, possibly by altering the gut microbiome. One way to reduce your sugar consumption is to avoid liquid sugar, such as soft drinks and sports drinks. These beverages are often high in added sugars and offer little nutritional value. Instead, opt for water or unsweetened tea as a refreshing and hydrating alternative.
Additionally, be cautious of artificial sweeteners, which can also contribute to insulin resistance and may alter the balance of healthy bacteria in your gut. By making small changes to your diet and being conscious of your sugar intake, you can take steps towards a healthier and happier you.
Treating Insulin Resistance
How can you reduce insulin resistance or even reverse it? Losing weight and exercising regularly. If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight and exercising regularly will help improve insulin sensitivity. As mentioned, weight loss alone can be an effective treatment for insulin resistance.
Did you know that a study funded by the National Institutes of Health called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) found that losing just 5 to 7 percent of your starting weight can significantly lower your risk of developing diabetes? For someone who weighs 200 pounds, that’s less than 14 pounds!
If you have insulin resistance, you may also have elevated LDL-cholesterol and high blood triglycerides, as well as a low HDL-cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol. These are conditions that may need treatment.
Some doctors also prescribe insulin-sensitizing medications when lifestyle changes don’t help. However, lifestyle is still the treatment of choice for insulin resistance, as medications are approved for type 2 diabetes, but not specifically for insulin resistance, although some doctors recommend a medication called metformin to enhance insulin sensitivity.
According to the DPP study, lifestyle changes such as improving your diet and increasing physical activity can have a significant impact on your health. You can reduce your chances of developing diabetes and improve your overall well-being by making small changes to your lifestyle.
Conclusion
Aggressive lifestyle changes that lead to weight loss are the most effective way to reverse insulin resistance and prevent future health problems, such as type 2 diabetes. That’s why it’s important to see your healthcare provider regularly and monitor your fasting blood glucose level. The first sign of insulin resistance is often a high fasting blood sugar level.
Your healthcare provider may also check a fasting insulin level, which is high if you have insulin resistance. Talk to your doctor about your risks and which tests they would recommend for you. But don’t ignore it! Despite its silence, it can cause numerous health issues.
References:
- “Insulin Resistance – StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” 04 Jul. 2022, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507839/.
- Mathur K, Agrawal RK, Nagpure S, Deshpande D. Effect of artificial sweeteners on insulin resistance among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients. J Family Med Prim Care. 2020 Jan 28;9(1):69-71. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_329_19. PMID: 32110567; PMCID: PMC7014832.
- Rivera-Paredez B, Torres-Ibarra L, González-Morales R, Barrientos-Gutiérrez T, Hernández-López R, Ramírez P, León-Maldonado L, Velázquez-Cruz R, Denova-Gutiérrez E, Salmerón J. Cumulative soft drink consumption is associated with insulin resistance in Mexican adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Sep 1;112(3):661-668. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa169. PMID: 32597932; PMCID: PMC7458769.
- “Insulin resistance doubles risk of major depressive disorder, Stanford ….” 22 Sept. 2021, med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2021/09/insulin-resistance-major-depressive-disorder.html.
- Wieser V, Moschen AR, Tilg H. Inflammation, cytokines and insulin resistance: a clinical perspective. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz). 2013 Apr;61(2):119-25. doi: 10.1007/s00005-012-0210-1. Epub 2013 Jan 10. PMID: 23307037.
- “Insulin Resistance and Diabetes | CDC.” cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/insulin-resistance.html.
- Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes (2023). Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/prediabetes-insulin-resistance (Accessed: 22 April 2023).
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