While you may have heard the term “insulin resistance,” you may not be fully aware of what it is or what it causes. In fact, insulin resistance can be a root cause underlying metabolic syndrome and virtually every chronic disease.
Studies show that 88% of Americans are in poor metabolic health, and six out of ten have a chronic disease. We struggle with so many issues: high blood pressure, weight gain, fatty liver, dementia, low sex drive, menstrual issues, infertility — not to mention heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and more.
Insulin resistance can be a key contributor to all these issues and many more. It’s a complex condition and vital to understand if you want to live a full, vibrant, healthy life for years to come.
Insulin is a vital hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance occurs when cells no longer respond normally to insulin.
Here’s how a healthy body responds to insulin:
However, for several reasons, your cells may not respond normally to insulin. When this happens, the pancreas produces more insulin to get that blood sugar into your cells. Over time, the cells stop responding to all that insulin — they’re insulin-resistant. So, the pancreas continues to push out more insulin, trying to make the cells respond.
If your pancreas can keep producing enough insulin to overcome your cells’ weak response, your blood sugar levels will remain in a healthy range. However, if your cells become too resistant to insulin, your blood sugar and insulin levels will rise. Over time, this leads not only to weight gain but also prediabetes, which puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
According to the CDC, more than one in three American adults have prediabetes, yet 80% don’t know that they have it. That’s because insulin resistance doesn’t normally present with symptoms until diabetes develops.
In addition to type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance can lead to many disorders, including:
While many things can contribute to insulin resistance, one of the major causes is increased triglycerides (fatty acids, a form of cholesterol) in the bloodstream. While genetics may cause elevated triglycerides and other types of cholesterol, the primary cause is the foods you eat.
Belly fat also releases higher levels of triglycerides into the bloodstream, which increases the production of inflammatory hormones and causes insulin resistance. Specifically, stress has been linked to increased fat around the abdominal area, as chronic stress can increase cortisol levels, and cortisol can cue your body to store fat as a survival mechanism.
With abdominal fat, it’s a vicious cycle: higher insulin levels signal the body to store fat around the abdominal area, and an increase in abdominal fat can lead to insulin resistance.
Other causes of Insulin Resistance include:
It’s important to note that you can be a “normal” weight, i.e., not overweight or obese, and still have insulin resistance. The key is the amount of abdominal fat you’re carrying. A waist measurement of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women is linked to insulin resistance.
It can be impossible to know if you have insulin resistance, since symptoms don’t show up in the early stages. However, here are a few signs you can look for:
Fortunately, insulin resistance is reversible. And while there is no magic pill, specific diet and lifestyle changes can turn things around. Here are just a few ways you can prevent or treat insulin resistance:
When it comes to insulin resistance, the earlier you find out about it, the easier it will be to treat it and reverse it. And since symptoms don’t show up right away, discovering your level of insulin resistance can help you take immediate steps to avoid metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, and more.
At Forum Health Las Colinas, we offer comprehensive serum lab testing to screen for insulin resistance using the Cardio IQ® Insulin Resistance Panel with Score. And this test is only one aspect of our whole body, the functional medicine approach.
Our providers will take time to meet with you and establish a meaningful dialogue regarding your history, symptoms, current state of health, and any concerns. This, combined with comprehensive lab testing, will provide you with the answers you need. We will explain your results in detail and provide a treatment protocol as needed so that you can start healing and feeling better.
Our providers are devoted to understanding your health concerns and symptoms. We use scientific-based protocols to find the root cause of hormonal imbalances, thyroid dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, and more.
We believe that spending quality, personalized time with each patient provides the foundation to help you achieve optimal health and wellness. Our system incorporates provider consultation, comprehensive health assessment, and laboratory testing in a warm and caring environment.
To learn more about how we can help you, contact our New Patient Coordinator for a free phone consultation. She can explain our protocols and fees in more detail, answer any questions or concerns you have, and explain how our approach can help you get to the root of your symptoms. We want you to enjoy a vibrant and healthy life!
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