Some Options Used To Reverse Insulin Resistance

By Mark Cooper


Insulin plays a very important role in the process of glucose metabolism. When this hormone is absent, the glucose levels will be abnormally raised leading to both acute and chronic complications. This is the case of type 1 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, the hormone is present but it cannot be utilized due to the existence of resistance. There are a number of things that can be done to reverse insulin resistance and prevent diabetes type 2.

The starting point should be the diet. A lot can be achieved by making changes to the quality and quantity of food that one consumes. Carbohydrates are a direct precursor of glucose which means that whenever one eats foods in this group the level of blood glucose is likely to spike. The problem is bigger if larger fewer meals are consumed (as opposed to smaller, more frequent meals).

The high sugar levels resulting from carbohydrate intake overstimulate the receptors which in some cases renders them unresponsive to the hormone. The general advice is that one should cut down on carbohydrates. Only a third of the meal should be made up of complex carbohydrates (as opposed to processed carbs). The rest should be protein, fruits and vegetables.

There are a number of other foods that are said to be beneficial to persons that have been identified as being at risk of suffering from this problem. These include foods that are rich in omega-3 fats, soy products, olive oil, beans and nuts among others. Mechanisms involved are widely varied and may include a reduction in oxidative stress, enhanced liver detoxification and a general improvement in carbohydrate metabolism.

Other than having a proper diet, one needs to take part in physical exercise regularly. There are two main benefits of physical exercise. The first one is the fact that during exercise fat breakdown takes place due increased metabolic demand. The result of this is a reduction in the amount of central abdominal fat that would otherwise act as risk factor for hormonal resistance. The other benefit is that the intake of glucose by body cells is increased during exercise hence a lower blood sugar level.

Any individual at the risk of insulin resistance should ensure that they avoid situations that would give them psychological stress. In presence of stress (especially that which is longstanding), a catabolic hormone known as cortisol is released in large quantities. This hormone promotes the breakdown of large macro-molecules to produce glucose. Engaging in relaxation activities such as massage, yoga, meditation and hypnosis regularly is highly recommended.

Related to quality sleep, is the need for adequate quality sleep. Sleep is important as it resets the system. During sleep, our metabolic requirements remain at the bare minimum meaning that the glucose levels are likely to be lowest at this time. This ensure that that there is less strain to the receptors and the chemicals that are involved in the functioning of these receptors are re-synthesized at this time.

When all these lifestyle modification strategies fail to yield results, drugs may be an option. There are many different types of drugs that are available in the market all with varying mechanisms of action. The end result, however, is a decrease in average blood glucose levels and a reduction in the risk of hormonal resistance.




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