Look down at your belly. Go ahead. What do you see? If you see the beginnings of a protruding abdomen, often referred to as a “gut,” then you likely have the beginnings of a common medical problem called insulin resistance.
Over 40 percent of the American population is insulin-resistant, and the majority of those individuals carry their weight in the abdominal area (referred to as truncal obesity or visceral obesity). Insulin resistance is actually the mid-step in a continuum of medical problems starting with carbohydrate sensitivity and ending with diabetes.
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas, and its main function is to help keep blood sugar levels normal. When your blood sugar level goes up, insulin is released into the bloodstream. Insulin then helps facilitate the transfer of sugar molecules into your body’s cells and tissues and, as a result, the sugar level in the blood goes down. Ideally insulin keeps blood sugar levels within a narrow, healthy range (70-120 milligrams/deciliter).
Insulin resistance occurs when the body becomes less sensitive to insulin’s effect on blood sugar.
When cells become resistant to insulin, the insulin receptors on the cell surface have begun to malfunction. This means that the cell receptors require more insulin to make them work properly in removing sugar from the bloodstream. At this early stage of resistance a blood sugar reading would likely be normal, but eventually the pancreas becomes unable to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugars normal. This leads to increased blood sugar levels and eventually to diabetes.
Insulin: “The Master Hormone”
From an overall health perspective, it is the sustained elevation of insulin production that is problematic. This is referred to as hyperinsulinemia. Insulin’s main job is to lower blood sugar, but it also plays major roles in other metabolic processes. For this reason, insulin is sometimes referred to as “the master hormone.”
Excess insulin shifts metabolism into storage mode, converting dietary sugar and fat into stored body fat. This leads to weight gain. Too much insulin also raises cholesterol production to unhealthy levels and makes the kidneys retain sodium, causing water retention and high blood pressure when insulin levels are high. In addition, elevated insulin contributes to high blood pressure by stimulating growth and thickening of arterial smooth muscle. Finally, too much insulin stimulates the use of glucose for energy. This last influence initially sounds ideal, but wouldn’t you rather burn fat for energy and be more likely to lose weight?
From a weight-loss perspective, insulin is a fat storage hormone. If insulin levels are elevated (insulin resistance), your body will stay in fat-storing mode. Even if you are restricting calories, if insulin levels are elevated you will still store fat and not lose weight.
If you reverse your insulin resistance and neutralize insulin levels, you will not only be less likely to develop diabetes, but you’ll also find it easier to lose weight, lower your cholesterol/triglyceride levels, lower your blood pressure, and decrease water retention.
How Do You Reduce Insulin Resistance and Bring Insulin Levels Down?
Luckily, you do have some control over insulin resistance and insulin levels. Insulin is one of the few hormones that we can influence by what we do and what we eat (known as dietary manipulation). Insulin levels only rise in response to increased blood sugar levels, and what we eat—specifically, carbohydrates—directly influences blood sugar levels. All carbohydrates are eventually converted to sugar, but this process happens very quickly with simple, or refined, sugars. So, decreasing intake of all dietary carbohydrates and especially refined sugars helps reduce insulin resistance. Another way to gain control over insulin resistance is through exercise. All exercise is beneficial, but muscle-building exercise (strength training) works the best. The higher your ratio of lean body mass (muscle) to fat, the better your body will respond to insulin.
The Bottom Line
Insulin resistance is a very common problem that can lead to diabetes as well as worsen many other diseases. Luckily, many of these problems can be avoided with medical attention and a treatment plan. Talk with your primary care physician or your weight loss physician if you are concerned about insulin resistance. He or she will likely recommend a low-carbohydrate diet and closely monitor your insulin levels.
F.A.Q.
What is insulin resistance?
It’s a medical condition in which your body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin and your pancreas tries to compensate for this by making even more insulin. This can eventually lead to the development of Type II diabetes.
What are the symptoms?
People who are most likely to have insulin resistance are overweight people, particularly those with larger amounts of belly fat. Symptoms can include fatigue, brain fogginess, intestinal bloating, weight gain, depression, fluid retention, increased blood pressure and an elevated fasting insulin blood level.
How does insulin resistance affect weight loss?
Insulin is a fat-storing hormone. If you have high levels of insulin in the bloodstream, you will store more fat (rather than burn it for energy) and be more likely to develop other medical problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, water retention and Type II diabetes.
What are my options?
See your primary care physician or an experienced weight-loss physician for proper diagnosis and treatment. Strategies include efforts to decreasing your intake of carbohydrates (particularly refined sugars), increasing your lean body mass (muscle) and monitoring your insulin blood levels.