What is insulin resistance and how to treat it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

This condition is often imperceptible. Although it leads to disastrous consequences.

What is insulin resistance and how is it dangerous?

Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells in the body lose sensitivity to the hormone insulin. This is a very unhealthy process and that's why Insulin Resistance.

Usually, all the food we eat is processed in the intestines into the bloodstream as glucose (sugar). Further, glucose, along with the bloodstream, is carried to organs and tissues - it serves as the main source of nutrition for cells. But they cannot get it just like that. You need a "key" that opens them so that the sugar gets inside. This is exactly the role that insulin plays.

This hormone is produced by the pancreas: it catches an increase in blood sugar and in response triggers the production of insulin. The cells "open", take in glucose (we feel a surge of vivacity and energy), and the blood sugar level decreases. As a result, the pancreas decreases the production of the hormone, and the organs and tissues are full. At the next meal, the process is repeated.

This is normal. But in people with insulin resistance, the cells stop responding to the "key". Glucose cannot penetrate the cell membrane, its level in the blood rises - even if the pancreas produces more and more insulin.

As a result, a person eats, but his organs and tissues do not receive the required amount of nutrients. This leads to weakness, rapid fatigability, and a sharp decrease in performance. And unclaimed free sugar is delivered to fat cells and accelerates their growth, which leads to fat deposits and weight gain.

But fullness and lack of strength are far from the only consequences of insulin resistance. There are much more dangerous ones.

Insulin resistance is the main cause of Insulin Resistance in the development of type 2 diabetes - a chronic and sometimes even fatal diabetes disease.

In addition, a high blood sugar level itself destructively affects internal organs, disrupting the functioning of the brain, cardiovascular and nervous systems, liver, and kidneys.

Where does insulin resistance come from?

Scientists do not yet have an exact answer. But certain relationships have been established.

So, it is known that most often insulin resistance is associated with overeating Insulin Resistance. Especially with a love for fast carbohydrates - sweets, cakes, pastries and other sweets. Such foods, especially in excess, lead to a constant increase in blood sugar levels. To cope with it, the pancreas produces huge doses of insulin. The cells of the body gradually get used to the fact that there is a lot of hormone all the time, and lose their sensitivity to it.

In addition, overeating increases the amount of free fatty acids in the blood. They also reduce the Dose-response effect of elevated plasma free fatty acid on insulin signaling insulin sensitivity of cells.

There are other possible causes of insulin resistance:

• Too large waist circumference - more than 80 cm Abdominal Obesity in women and 94–95 cm in men. This parameter indicates that a lot of visceral fat has accumulated in the abdomen (this is the name of the fat surrounding the internal organs). Such fat releases Serum retinol-binding protein is more highly expressed in visceral than in subcutaneous adipose tissue and is a marker of intra-abdominal fat mass a special protein that reduces the sensitivity of cells to insulin.
• Sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity increases insulin sensitivity, while inactivity, on the contrary, leads to Physical Activity and Insulin Sensitivity to insulin resistance.
• Chronic inflammatory processes Molecular Events Linking Oxidative Stress and Inflammation to Insulin Resistance and β-Cell Dysfunction in the body.
• Intestinal microflora disorders. The lack or excess of certain bacteria can provoke chronic inflammation and, as a result, lead to insulin resistance.
• Age. The older a person is, the more easily his cells lose their insulin sensitivity. After 50 years, 40% of people develop insulin resistance. Insulin Resistance: Recognizing the Hidden Danger.
• Heredity. If your close family member suffers from diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome may also have glucose problems.
• Presence of some Metabolic Syndrome diseases. In particular, we are talking about polycystic ovary syndrome (in women), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and sleep apnea.
• Smoking Smoking induces insulin resistance-a potential link with the insulin resistance syndrome.
• Lack of sleep A single night of partial sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects.

How to recognize insulin resistance

There are no clear symptoms that would be characteristic only of this condition. Therefore, only a doctor - the same therapist - can assume Insulin Resistance. And only after you pass blood tests.

The following are considered indicative:

• high fasting blood glucose (at least 8 hours after the last meal);
• High triglyceride levels (a type of fat)
• low "good" cholesterol (HDL) levels combined with high levels of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol.

How to treat insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is not a disease. Rather, it is a risk factor that increases the susceptibility to disease. Therefore, there are no pills that can help cure low insulin sensitivity.

But the sensitivity of cells to insulin can still be increased. To do this, you just need to change your lifestyle a little.

Start moving more

Exercise and insulin sensitivity: a review of how to reverse insulin resistance. The most important thing is to make your workouts regular. To get the desired effect, you must actively move (walk, bike, exercise) for at least 30 minutes of Metabolic Syndrome every day.

Try to lose belly fat

This can be achieved both by physical exercise and nutritional correction.

Give up sweets

Or at least limit the amount of cakes, candies, and soda in your diet.

Emphasize healthy eating

Make sure to have more vegetables, fruits, whole grains (bread, cereals), nuts, lean meat on your table. If possible, add fatty fish: it contains omega-3 fatty acids, which increase the sensitivity of cells to insulin.

Quit smoking

Lifehacker has compiled the best ways to do it here.

Get enough sleep

Try to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night.