What is insulin resistance?
Our demand for fuel varies from moment to moment, but the brain needs our blood sugar level to remain stable. So getting the cells the energy they need without changing that level is a critical function — and that’s the role that insulin plays. Insulin is a vital hormone produced in the pancreas that signals the cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. The body monitors what we’ve digested, blood sugar levels, and cell demands, and releases insulin in just the right amounts. That’s why a healthy body is described as “insulin sensitive.” Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it effectively. When people have insulin resistance, glucose builds up in the blood instead of being absorbed by the cells, leading to type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.Most are taken aback when they learn they either already have insulin resistance syndrome (or as I call it pre-pre-diabetic) until they develop type 2 diabetes, a serious, lifelong disease.
Why it is a risk:
Those who are insulin resistant are at much greater risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, high cholesterol, breast cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). There is some evidence that insulin resistance may contribute to endometrial cancer. It has also been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.The good news is that if people learn they have insulin resistance, they can often prevent or delay diabetes by making changes their lifestyle.
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