Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
We are hearing more and more about insulin resistance and diabetes. The condition of Diabetes was first discussed over 3000 years ago in Egypt. Dr Himsworth, a British scientist, differentiated Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in 1936. The main difference between the Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes is that Type1 diabetes is a genetic condition that often shows up early in life, and Type 2 is mainly lifestyle-related and develops over time. With Type 1 diabetes, your immune system is attacking and destroying the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas.
Carbohydrates are considered the same as Sugar to the body.
The average American consumes more than 200 pounds of sugar each year (compared to about 10 pounds in the 18th century). About half of the calories the average American consumes consist of refined carbohydrates, which the body treats the same way it treats sugar. As a result, we are producing too much insulin. Eventually, we become insensitive to insulin, and that has serious health consequences. Insulin insensitivity can become diabetes if not treated with proper diet and insulin sensitivity supplements.
A patient can have insulin resistance but still have normal lab results. Insulin resistance can lead to high triglycerides, although that test is not used to diagnose diabetes. A more reliable test is the Hemoglobin A1C test (sometimes just called the A1C test), which indicates blood sugar levels over time. An A1C level of 6.5% or higher on two separate tests indicates that diabetes is present. An A1C between 5.7-6.4% indicates prediabetes (insulin resistance), while below 5.6 is considered normal.
There are 100 million people in the USA that have insulin resistance!
There are 100 million patients in the U.S. alone, nearly 1/3 of the population that have insulin resistance. There are 34 million Americans with Type 2 diabetes (which is just insulin insensitivity that has gotten out of hand). Nearly 25% (7.2 million) of those with diabetes do not know they have the condition. Only 11.6% of those with insulin insensitivity know they have it.
What Are Some Symptoms of Insulin Resistance?
Symptoms of insulin sensitivity include fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, carbohydrate craving, and periods of hypoglycemia after a high-carbohydrate meal. Following are related conditions:
- Polycystic ovary disease
- Low testosterone in men
- Insomnia: It is common for someone with insulin insensitivity to wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep
- Hypertension: About half of your patients with hypertension have high blood pressure because of insulin insensitivity
- Metabolic syndrome: High cholesterol, low “good” cholesterol (HDL), high “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and high triglycerides. Medicine does not seem to know what to do about high triglycerides, and often places these patients on statins. Treating insulin insensitivity can lower cholesterol in many patients as well as lowering triglycerides
- Obesity: One of the best strategies for losing weight is to treat insulin insensitivity
- Biliary stasis, gallstones: Bile tends to thicken, creating “biliary stasis.” Early signs of this include dry skin and itching. It can progress to gallstones
- Fatty liver
- Type 2 diabetes: If left untreated, insulin insensitivity can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
What’s the Best Treatment for Insulin Resistance and Diabetes?
The best treatment for diabetes is to treat it before it happens. Type 2 diabetes can often be prevented through proper nutrition, diet, exercise and lifestyle. As I have said before, your blood will tell the story. Get your blood tested to see what nutrients you may be lacking.
Supplements to consider:
Berberine: Approximately 500 mg 3x/day. Berberine has been well-researched and shown to reduce blood sugar and A1C. Berberine performs similarly to metformin. Subjects have had significant decreases in A1C, fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, and plasma triglycerides. It has even been shown to lower cholesterol reduce BMI and it may also help with fatty liver disease.
K2 D3: Get your vitamin D level tested to make sure your levels are between 50-70.
Click here to purchase a Vitamin D from Lab Corp for $39.
If you or someone you know is struggling to find answers to unexplained symptoms or untreated insulin resistance, schedule a complimentary consultation here or call 480-951-5006.
Treating the root cause of your condition, not just your symptoms, is the fastest way to recovery and is the best way to obtain optimal health and wellness.
