Maintain Good Health by Improving Insulin Sensitivity

Improving insulin sensitivity is an effective way for preventing chronic diseases and maintaining good health. Learn how to improve insulin sensitivity.

You can support and maintain good health by improving your insulin sensitivity. Normal insulin sensitivity is necessary for normal metabolism and good health. Improvements can help a person to move from an insulin-resistant state to a state of improved energy metabolism. When insulin sensitivity improves, insulin can manage the body's energy utilization more effectively. Proper management of nutrients, particularly the high energy nutrients, by insulin is important for good health and prevention of chronic diseases.

Maintaining good insulin sensitivity is an effective, low-cost approach for staying healthy. Unfortunately, adequate attention has not been focused on the importance of maintaining good insulin sensitivity in health care. Concerns have not been adequately raised on the dangers associated with insulin resistance, a condition that often results in impairment in insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance is the gateway to obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and numerous other chronic diseases. It is important to take appropriate measures to improve insulin sensitivity and reverse insulin resistance. Improvement is the key for a sound energy metabolism and good health.

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Insulin Sensitivity

When insulin sensitivity improves, lower plasma levels of insulin are needed for the effective management of nutrients, particularly fats and carbohydrates. Under this condition, the energy nutrients, particularly carbohydrates, are handled largely by the muscle cells, and very little is stored as body fat. In the muscle cells these nutrients are used primarily for energy, and they can be used immediately or stored as glycogen (a chain of glucose) for later use when nutrient supply to the muscle cells is low.

Who Benefits From Improvement in Insulin Sensitivity?

People with metabolism-based diseases [1,2,3] would benefit from improvement in insulin sensitivity. Those who do not have metabolic diseases can benefit by preventing themselves from developing these chronic diseases. Improvement in insulin sensitivity helps to prevent or facilitate the reversal of most metabolism-based diseases and conditions, including the following:

• Atherosclerosis
• Hypertension
• Type 2 diabetes
• Ischemic heart disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Strokes
• Obesity
• Certain types of cancer
• Morbidity
• Premature death

General Approaches for Improving Insulin Sensitivity

There are numerous ways of improving insulin sensitivity and lowering insulin resistance. When a person is in the insulin-resistant state (a prevalent problem today), it is very difficult to lose body fat. Moderate amounts of exercise and dieting are often ineffective for reducing body fat under condition of increased insulin resistance. An effective protocol for restoring normal insulin sensitivity is necessary for setting the background that facilitates success in body fat reduction and restoration of good health. Combining three or more of the general approaches shown below can help, but an increase in aerobic activity is essential.

• Increase aerobic activity [4,5].
• Reduce the total amount of carbohydrates consumed (e.g., consuming 60–70% of the carbohydrates normally consumed each day).
• Avoid foods that promote insulin resistance.
• Consume foods and nutrients that raise insulin sensitivity.
• Eat only unrefined organic foods.

Avoiding Foods That Increase Insulin Resistance

Foods and non-foods that increase insulin resistance can also be viewed as consumable substances that lower insulin sensitivity. These edibles can also promote increases in body fat. Some of these products that promote insulin resistance are shown below.

• Trans fats, found in partially hydrogenated oils and in many baked foods
• Refined carbohydrates such as refined sugar and refined flour
• Obesogens such as atraxine and bisphenol-A (BPA) which are found in the environment. (obessogens are endocrine disruptors that can cause obesity and numerous other health problems).
• Artificial sweeteners which are found in many foods and drinks.
• Some food additives such as fructose corn syrup.

Foods and Nutrients that Improve Insulin Sensitivity

Spices [6], good oils and dietary fibers [7] are nutrients that increase insulin sensitivity. Minerals such as chromium are also effective boosters of insulin sensitivity. Dietary fibers, preferably from the leafy vegetables, are perhaps, the most important nutrients that improve insulin sensitivity. The list of the metabolism boosters include the following.

• Dietary fibers in foods such as kale, collard greens, spinach and bok choy
• Good oils such as olive oil and oils from nuts which contain alpha omega-3 oil
• Spices such as cinnamon. curry, cumin, cayenne pepper, ginger and garlic
• Chromium

Oils should be consumed in moderation, but dietary fiber (vegetables) should be consumed in large quantities. If the carbohydrate content of the diet is reduced, one can eat more vegetables to assure that he/she is hunger-free with this dietary protocol.

References

1. An update. L. J. Ignarro, M. L. Balestrien and C. Napoli. Nutrition, physical activity, and cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular Research. 73 (2): 326-340

1. Naveed Sattar.PCOS, insulin resistance and long-term risks for diabetes and vascular disease. The British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Diseases. Review:9(1):, 15 – 19.

2. Zambon, A. Pauletto, P., Crepaldi, G. The Metabolic Syndrome – A Chronic Cardiovascular InflammatoryCcondition Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Review article 22: 20 – 23.

3. Robert Ross. Does Exercise Without Weight Loss Improve Insulin Sensitivity? Diabetes Care. 26(3).

4. Duncan GE, Perri MG, Theriaque DW, Hutson AD, Eckel RH, Stacpoole PW. Exercise training, without weight loss, increases insulin sensitivity and postheparin plasma lipase activity in previously sedentary adults. Diabetes Care 26

5. Anderson, R. and Polansky, M. Cinnamon Extracts Boost Insulin Sensitivity. Agricultural Research Magazine 48: 7.

6. Lara-Castro, C.,Garbey, T. Diet, Insulin Resistance and Obesity: Zonning for Atkins; Dieters Living in South Beach. J Cln Endo and Met. 89: 9.