What Causes Insulin Resistance?
Michael: You wrote: ” Part of the question in my mind are the relative benefits of higher HDL vs lower LDL; a topic I would love to see taken up on a NF video.” I have suggested that this be a topic of future videos. In the meantime, below is some information I’ve gathered about HDL which may be helpful to you. . **************** I am not an expert on the topic of HDL, but some of my favorite NutritionFacts forum members and some experts have had a thing or two to say on the matter. BOTTOM LINE: I synthesize the information below to mean we do not need to worry about HDL levels or HDL falling in the context of a whole plant food based diet, when LDL goes down or is already at a healthy level. . In other words, if you have high/unsafe cholesterol levels (total and LDL) overall, then also having high HDL can be protective (especially if you got that high HDL through exercise or some other healthy behavior rather than diet). But in the face of healthy LDL levels, the HDL level doesn’t seem to matter. I may be wrong about this, but see what you think. ************************************ . First, check out the following article from heart health expert Dean Ornish. He does a great job of explaining the role of HDL and when we need to worry about it’s levels vs when we do not. “A low HDL in the context of a healthy low-fat diet has a very different prognostic significance than a low HDL in someone eating a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet.” . Two of our more knowledgable forum particpants, Gatherer and Darryl, have put together for us some of the strongest evidence–a list of good studies. Gatherer wrote (from comment ) : . “”Don’t put too much stock in HDL levels. Here is a news release “Raising ‘good’ cholesterol doesn’t protect against heart di Continue reading >>
What Causes Insulin Resistance? Lipid Overload
Over the past year I have interacted with hundreds of people with diabetes, and have come to learn one very important lesson that has changed my view of diabetes altogether. This realization came to me early on in my career as a nutrition and fitness coach for people with diabetes, and continues to hold true. While insulin resistance is a condition that is most commonly associated with type 2 diabetes, an increasing body of evidence is now shedding light on the fact that insulin resistance is a common thread that underlies many health conditions previously unassociated with blood sugar, including (but not limited to) heart disease, diabetes, atherosclerosis, the metabolic syndrome, obesity and cancer. What that means is simple: insulin resistance significantly increases your risk for the development of a collection of health conditions that can significantly reduce your quality of life and decrease your life expectancy. Watch this video for a synopsis of the causes of insulin resistance: What is insulin and why should you care? Insulin is a hormone which is released by the pancreas in response to rising blood glucose. When you consume carbohydrates, the glucose that enters the bloodstream knocks on the door of the beta cells in the pancreas as a signal to make insulin. Insulin serves as the key that unlocks the door to allow glucose to enter body tissues. Insulin tells your cells “Yoo hoo! Pick up this glucose. It’s all over the place.” Without insulin, cells in the liver, muscle, and fat have a difficult time vacuuming up glucose from the blood. These tissues are capable to vacuuming up only a small percentage (5-10%) of the glucose in circulation without the help of insulin. When insulin is present, the amount of glucose that can be transported into tissues sign Continue reading >>
Insulin Resistance
What medical conditions are associated with insulin resistance? While the metabolic syndrome links insulin resistance with abdominal obesity, elevated cholesterol, and high blood pressure; several other medical other conditions are specifically associated with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance may contribute to the following conditions: Type 2 Diabetes: Overt diabetes may be the first sign insulin resistance is present. Insulin resistance can be noted long before type 2 diabetes develops. Individuals reluctant or unable to see a health-care professional often seek medical attention when they have already developed type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Fatty liver: Fatty liver is strongly associated with insulin resistance. Accumulation of fat in the liver is a manifestation of the disordered control of lipids that occurs with insulin resistance. Fatty liver associated with insulin resistance may be mild or severe. Newer evidence suggests fatty liver may even lead to cirrhosis of the liver and, possibly, liver cancer. Arteriosclerosis: Arteriosclerosis (also known as atherosclerosis) is a process of progressive thickening and hardening of the walls of medium-sized and large arteries. Arteriosclerosis is responsible for: Other risk factors for arteriosclerosis include: High levels of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol Diabetes mellitus from any cause Family history of arteriosclerosis Skin Lesions: Skin lesions include increased skin tags and a condition called acanthosis nigerians (AN). Acanthosis nigricans is a darkening and thickening of the skin, especially in folds such as the neck, under the arms, and in the groin. This condition is directly related to the insulin resistance, though the exact mechanism is not clear. Acanthosis nigricans is a cosmetic condition strongly Continue reading >>
What Is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps unlock the body's cells so that sugar (glucose) from the food we eat can be used by the cells for energy. In people with type 2 diabetes, a combination of problems occurs, and scientists aren't really sure which is the chicken and which is the egg. The person's body may not be producing enough insulin to meet their needs, so some glucose can't get into the cells. Glucose remains in the bloodstream, causing high blood glucose levels. In many cases, the person may actually be producing more insulin than one might reasonably expect that person to need to convert the amount of food they've eaten at a meal into energy. Their pancreas is actually working overtime to produce more insulin because the body's cells are resistant to the effects of insulin. Basically the cells, despite the presence of insulin in the bloodstream, don't become unlocked and don't let enough of the glucose in the blood into the cells. Scientists don't know exactly what causes this insulin resistance, and many expect that there are several different defects in the process of unlocking cells that cause insulin resistance. Medications for type 2 diabetes focus on different parts of this insulin-cell interaction to help improve blood glucose control. Some medications stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin. Others improve how the body uses insulin by working on this insulin resistance. Physical activity also seems to improve the body's ability to use insulin by decreasing insulin resistance, which is why activity is so important in diabetes management. Find more information about diabetes in The Joslin Guide to Diabetes available from the Joslin Online Store. Continue reading >>
Estrogen Deprivation In Primate Pregnancy Leads To Insulin Resistance In Offspring
Estrogen deprivation in primate pregnancy leads to insulin resistance in offspring 1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 2Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA 3Department of Internal Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia, USA 4Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Correspondence should be addressed to E D Albrecht; Email: ealbrecht{at}fpi.umaryland.edu This study tested the hypothesis that estrogen programs mechanisms within the primate fetus that promote insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in offspring. Glucose tolerance tests were performed longitudinally in prepubertal offspring of baboons untreated or treated on days 100 to 165/175 of gestation (term is 184 days) with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, which decreased fetal estradiol levels by 95%. Basal plasma insulin levels were over two-fold greater in offspring delivered to letrozole-treated than untreated animals. Moreover, the peak 1min, average of the 1, 3, and 5min, and area under the curve blood glucose and plasma insulin levels after an i.v. bolus of glucose were greater (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) in offspring deprived of estrogen in utero than in untreated animals and partially or completely restored in letrozole plus estradiol-treated baboons. The value for the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was 2.5-fold greater (P<0.02) and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index lower (P<0.01) in offspring of letrozole-treated versus untreated animals and returned to almost normal in letrozole plus estradiol-treated animals. The exaggerated rise in gluc Continue reading >>
5 Steps To Reversing Type 2 Diabetes And Insulin Resistance
Breaking news! Some newly discovered compounds have just been found to turn off all of the genes that cause diabetes. Are these compounds found in a pill bottle? No! Instead, you’ll find them on your dinner plate — in rye bread and pasta. (As I recently wrote in one of my blogs, rye contains special phytonutrients that turn off all the genes responsible for diabetes — in just a few weeks.) Last week, I explained how to find out if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic. Half of the 24 million people with diabetes don’t know they have it and nearly all the 60 million people with pre-diabetes don’t know they have it. Today, I want to share with you more information about what you can do NOW to prevent and reverse diabetes and pre-diabetes. And rye bread isn’t the only answer — I’ve got a lot more good advice, too. But first I want to emphasize new research that should be headlines news but never saw the light of day. Do our current drugs treatments for diabetes actually work to prevent heart attacks and death? Surely lowering blood sugar in diabetics is an effective strategy for reducing the risk of death and heart disease. It would seem obvious that if diabetes is a disease of high blood sugar, then reducing blood sugar would be beneficial. However elevated sugar is only a symptom, not the cause of the problem. The real problem is elevated insulin unchecked over decades from a highly refined carbohydrate diet, a sedentary lifestyle and environmental toxins. Most medications and insulin therapy are aimed at lowering blood sugar through increasing insulin. In the randomized ACCORD trial of over 10,000 patients, this turns out to be a bad idea. In the intensive glucose-lowering group, there were no fewer heart attacks, and more patients died. Yet we continue to pa Continue reading >>
What Causes The Insulin Resistance Underlying Obesity?
Go to: NOT ALL FORMS OF OBESITY RESULT IN INSULIN RESISTANCE Obesity is the excessive growth of adipose tissue depots arising from the chronic consumption of calories in excess of the energetic needs of the individual. In humans, the expansion of adipose depots results from increased numbers of individual adipocytes (hyperplasia), and from the hypertrophy of adipocytes, in a depot-dependent fashion [3]. Importantly, there is a large individual variation in the size and expandability of different adipose tissue depots in humans. This factor is critically important in understanding the relationship between obesity and insulin resistance, as expansion of some depots is associated with increased risk, whereas expansion of others is associated with decreased risk [4]. Each standard deviation (SD) increase in subcutaneous adipose tissue mass decreases the odds of insulin resistance by 48%, whereas a SD increase in visceral adipose tissue mass increases the odds of insulin resistance by 80% [5▪]. These findings can explain the existence of ‘benign’ and ‘malign’ obesity wherein insulin resistance is not observed in all individuals with high BMIs. They may also explain the very high incidence of insulin resistance and diabetes in ethnic populations that display relatively low BMIs associated with high waist circumferences or waist-to-hip ratios, reflecting elevated visceral obesity [6]. In this context, the mechanisms that control the expandability of subcutaneous adipose tissue, including its high capacity for adipocyte differentiation and lipid storage may be key factors in determining diabetes risk in obesity [7]. The enhanced capacity for formation of adipocytes, inferred by the presence of hyperplasia in subcutaneous adipose tissue [8], correlates with decreased r Continue reading >>
Signs Of Insulin Resistance
What is insulin resistance? Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas. It allows your cells to use glucose (sugar) for energy. People with insulin resistance have cells throughout their bodies that don’t use insulin effectively. This means the cells have trouble absorbing glucose, which causes a buildup of sugar in their blood. If your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes, you have a condition called prediabetes caused by insulin resistance. It’s not entirely clear why some people develop insulin resistance and others don’t. A sedentary lifestyle and being overweight increases the chance of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. The effects of insulin resistance Insulin resistance typically doesn’t trigger any noticeable symptoms. You could be insulin resistant for years without knowing, especially if your blood glucose levels aren’t checked. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that nearly 70 percent of individuals with insulin resistance and prediabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes if significant lifestyle changes aren’t made. Some people with insulin resistance may develop a skin condition known as acanthosis nigricans. This condition creates dark patches often on the back of the neck, groin, and armpits. Some experts believe it may be caused by a buildup of insulin within skin cells. There’s no cure for acanthosis nigricans, but if caused by a specific condition, treatment may allow for some of your natural skin color to return. Insulin resistance increases the risk of being overweight, having high triglycerides, and having elevated blood pressure. Since insulin resistance increases your risk for progressing to diabetes, you may not notice right away if you develop Continue reading >>
Insulin Resistance And Hyperinsulinemia
Insulin resistance, recently recognized as a strong predictor of disease in adults, has become the leading element of the metabolic syndrome and renewed as a focus of research. The condition exists when insulin levels are higher than expected relative to the level of glucose. Thus, insulin resistance is by definition tethered to hyperinsulinemia. The rising prevalence of medical conditions where insulin resistance is common has energized research into the causes. Many causes and consequences have been identified, but the direct contributions of insulin itself in causing or sustaining insulin resistance have received little sustained attention. We examine situations where insulin itself appears to be a proximate and important quantitative contributor to insulin resistance. 1) Mice transfected with extra copies of the insulin gene produce basal and stimulated insulin levels that are two to four times elevated. The mice are of normal weight but show insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. 2) Somogyi described patients with unusually high doses of insulin and hyperglycemia. Episodes of hypoglycemia with release of glucose-raising hormones, postulated as the culprits in early studies, have largely been excluded by studies including continuous glucose monitoring. 3) Rats and humans treated with escalating doses of insulin show both hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. 4) The pulsatile administration of insulin (rather than continuous) results in reduced requirements for insulin. 5) Many patients with insulinoma who have elevated basal levels of insulin have reduced (but not absent) responsiveness to administered insulin. In summary, hyperinsulinemia is often both a result and a driver of insulin resistance. HORMONE REGULATES TISSUE SENSITIVITY— A ho Continue reading >>
Insulin Resistance: Causes, Symptoms And Prevention
Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, allows cells to absorb glucose so that it can be used as energy. The cells of individuals with insulin resistance are unable to use insulin effectively. When cells cannot absorb glucose, it builds up in the blood. If glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnostic for diabetes, it is referred to as prediabetes. This page will look at the current understanding of insulin resistance and explain how it is a risk factor for both diabetes and other conditions. The article will also explain the signs and how it can be avoided. Contents of this article: Here are some key points about insulin resistance. More detail and supporting information is in the main article. Insulin resistance itself does not present any symptoms if it occurs without prediabetes or diabetes Blood sugar levels with insulin resistance are normal Insulin resistance alone is not treated, but preventing prediabetes or diabetes from developing can be achieved through lifestyle measures What is insulin resistance? Insulin resistance increases the risk of developing prediabetes, and, eventually, type 2 diabetes. Around 15-30 percent of people with prediabetes go on to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within 5 years, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Similarly, the American Heart Association (AHA) say that about half of people with high blood sugar go on to develop type 2 diabetes within a decade. The AHA also point out that this means half of these people do not develop diabetes - "your choices make a difference." In other words, individuals can reduce their chances of progressing to type 2 diabetes in the future by making some preventive lifestyle changes. Not only that, but these steps can also Continue reading >>
Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance (IR) is a pathological condition in which cells fail to respond normally to the hormone insulin. The body produces insulin when glucose starts to be released into the bloodstream from the digestion of carbohydrates in the diet. Normally this insulin response triggers glucose being taken into body cells, to be used for energy, and inhibits the body from using fat for energy. The concentration of glucose in the blood decreases as a result, staying within the normal range even when a large amount of carbohydrates is consumed. When the body produces insulin under conditions of insulin resistance, the cells are resistant to the insulin and are unable to use it as effectively, leading to high blood sugar. Beta cells in the pancreas subsequently increase their production of insulin, further contributing to a high blood insulin level. This often remains undetected and can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes or latent autoimmune diabetes of adults.[1] Although this type of chronic insulin resistance is harmful, during acute illness it is actually a well-evolved protective mechanism. Recent investigations have revealed that insulin resistance helps to conserve the brain's glucose supply by preventing muscles from taking up excessive glucose.[2] In theory, insulin resistance should even be strengthened under harsh metabolic conditions such as pregnancy, during which the expanding fetal brain demands more glucose. People who develop type 2 diabetes usually pass through earlier stages of insulin resistance and prediabetes, although those often go undiagnosed. Insulin resistance is a syndrome (a set of signs and symptoms) resulting from reduced insulin activity; it is also part of a larger constellation of symptoms called the metabolic syndrome. Insuli Continue reading >>
Insulin Resistance Causes And Symptoms
One in three Americans—including half of those age 60 and older1— have a silent blood sugar problem known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance increases the risk for prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and a host of other serious health problems, including heart attacks, strokes2 and cancer.3 What is Insulin Resistance? Insulin resistance is when cells in your muscles, body fat and liver start resisting or ignoring the signal that the hormone insulin is trying to send out—which is to grab glucose out of the bloodstream and put it into our cells. Glucose, also known as blood sugar, is the body’s main source of fuel. We get glucose from grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, and drinks that bring break down into carbohydrates. How Insulin Resistance Develops While genetics, aging and ethnicity play roles in developing insulin sensitivity, the driving forces behind insulin resistance include excess body weight, too much belly fat, a lack of exercise, smoking, and even skimping on sleep.4 As insulin resistance develops, your body fights back by producing more insulin. Over months and years, the beta cells in your pancreas that are working so hard to make insulin get worn out and can no longer keep pace with the demand for more and more insulin. Then – years after insulin resistance silently began – your blood sugar may begin to rise and you may develop prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. You may also develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a growing problem associated with insulin resistance that boosts your risk for liver damage and heart disease. 5 Signs and Symptoms of Insulin Resistance Insulin resistance is usually triggered by a combination of factors linked to weight, age, genetics, being sedentary and smoking. - A large waist. Experts say the be Continue reading >>
Causes Of Insulin Resistance
Several factors increase the risk of insulin resistance. While some of these risk factors are associated with lifestyle and can be modified, others are genetic or biochemical and therefore not modifiable. Insulin resistance is caused by a persistently high level of insulin over a prolonged period of time that eventually causes the body's sensitivity to insulin to decrease. Some of the risk factors for insulin resistance include: Lifestyle factors Obesity and a diet rich in fats and refined carbohydrates are factors thought to be associated with the development of insulin resistance. Abdominal fat, especially, is thought to play a role because it produces hormones that can trigger insulin resistance. Vitamin D A deficiency of Vitamin D in the diet may contribute to insulin resistance due to the role it plays in glucose tolerance through its effects on insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. Diabetes Type 2 diabetics may have increased levels of insulin. In healthy people, the action of insulin is mediated on binding to insulin receptors present on various cellular targets such as fat cells, muscle cells and liver cells. In people with type 2 diabetes, high levels of blood sugar trigger high levels of insulin production and this leads to down regulation of the insulin receptors. This means there is a relative resistance to insulin despite the insulin levels being high. The initial cause of high blood sugar is brought about by high carbohydrate intake. Insulin resistance is thought to be connected to inflammation. In the case of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, the immune system releases inflammatory mediators called cytokines which are thought to disturb the action of insulin. Damage caused by free radicals or oxidative stress has also been implicated in the developmen Continue reading >>
Prediabetes & Insulin Resistance
What is insulin? Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach. The pancreas contains clusters of cells called islets. Beta cells within the islets make insulin and release it into the blood. Insulin plays a major role in metabolism—the way the body uses digested food for energy. The digestive tract breaks down carbohydrates—sugars and starches found in many foods—into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar that enters the bloodstream. With the help of insulin, cells throughout the body absorb glucose and use it for energy. Insulin's Role in Blood Glucose Control When blood glucose levels rise after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin and glucose then travel in the blood to cells throughout the body. Insulin helps muscle, fat, and liver cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream, lowering blood glucose levels. Insulin stimulates the liver and muscle tissue to store excess glucose. The stored form of glucose is called glycogen. Insulin also lowers blood glucose levels by reducing glucose production in the liver. In a healthy person, these functions allow blood glucose and insulin levels to remain in the normal range. What happens with insulin resistance? In insulin resistance, muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond properly to insulin and thus cannot easily absorb glucose from the bloodstream. As a result, the body needs higher levels of insulin to help glucose enter cells. The beta cells in the pancreas try to keep up with this increased demand for insulin by producing more. As long as the beta cells are able to produce enough insulin to overcome the insulin resistance, blood glucose levels stay in the healthy range. Over time, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes and prediabetes because the bet Continue reading >>
Eating Fast Leads To Insulin Resistance: Findings In Middle-aged Japanese Men And Women
Volume 46, Issue 2 , February 2008, Pages 154-159 Eating fast leads to insulin resistance: Findings in middle-aged Japanese men and women To examine relationships between speed of eating and insulin resistance. Cross-sectional study of 2704 male (mean age and BMI: 48.2y and 23.3kg/m2) and 761 female (46.3y and 21.8kg/m2) non-diabetic Japanese civil servants, 75% clerical, and 25% manual laborers, using a two-part questionnaire on life-style factors and diet history with self-assessment of categorical speed of eating and energy intake over a 1-month period. We measured BMI, blood glucose and insulin concentrations and calculated insulin resistance using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance: (HOMA-IR). BMI correlated with eating rate in both sexes, and with daily energy intake in men. Multiple regression analysis of log HOMA-IR by categorical speed of eating, adjusting for age, energy intake and lifestyle factors showed a statistically significant gradual increase in HOMA-IR with increases in relative eating rate in men (p<0.001, for trend) and in women (p<0.01). Adjusting for BMI, this positive relationship appeared only in men (p=0.03). Our results suggest that eating fast is independently associated with insulin resistance in middle-aged Japanese men and women. Continue reading >>
