Options That Can Be Used To Reverse Insulin Resistance

By Michelle Myers


Insulin is one of the most important hormones in the process of metabolism. When insufficient in amount or when the body cannot utilize it, the control of blood sugar levels is compromised. This has the potential to cause both acute and chronic complications. Insulin resistance is a phenomenon that occurs when insulin is adequate but cannot stimulate its receptors. It is a common cause of type 2 diabetes. There are a number of ways on how to reverse insulin resistance.

One of the first steps that one has to undertake is to modify the diet. The amount of carbohydrates should be reduced as much as possible because they are a direct source of glucose once they have been metabolized. They may result in persistent high levels of blood sugar and increase the risk of hormonal resistance. The general advice is that carbohydrates should be about one third of the meal.

Compared to highly refined carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables have a comparatively lower glycemic index. This means that their ability to increase the blood sugar levels is a lot less than that associated with carbohydrates. The amount of these foods in the diet should be increased. Supplements such as calcium, multivitamins, chromium, fish oil and magnesium should also be increased. Many of them greatly aid in digestion and prevent abnormal increases in the glucose levels.

Another lifestyle modification that can be made is regular engagement in physical exercise. Exercise has a number of roles that it plays in the process of metabolism. Among them is the fact that it helps in the reduction of central body fat which would otherwise increase the risk of diabetes. Another major benefit is that there is an increase in the demand for glucose when muscles contract during exercise. This reduces the amount of glucose in circulation.

Stress has been shown to affect the levels of blood glucose. Prolonged stress may sustain the glucose at very high levels in persons at risk of diabetes. This is likely to cause resistance to the hormone and predispose to diabetes. The increase in blood glucose is mainly caused by an increase in levels of a catabolic hormone known as cortisol. Make sure you take time to relax regularly. Activities such as yoga, meditation and feedback are tremendously helpful.

Make sure that you get adequate quality sleep. Just like stress, lack of sleep has the potential to increase the levels of cortisol and elevate the levels of blood sugar. Examples of causes of poor quality sleep include obstructive sleep apnea, noisy environments and obstructive sleep apnea among others. The minimum recommended time for sleeping is 6 hours for the average adult.

Drugs are often considered for resistance reversal if the other methods fail to yield the desired results. The drugs used here are of varied types. Biguanides (metformin, for example) are among those that are used commonly. Their main mechanism of action is the stimulation of the insulin receptors. Another group is the thiazolidinediones. These work by increasing cellular response to glucose.

Among the leading causes of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. This phenomenon is seen when the cells fail to respond to insulin in spite of the latter being present in the body in adequate amounts. There are several things that can be done so as to reverse this condition. They include regular physical exercise, stress reduction and diet modification among others.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment