Insulin Resistance
Prediabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypoglycemia, Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, Fatty liver
Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin, making it harder to regulate blood sugar. Over time, this can lead to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Today, about 40 million Americans have diabetes, and more than 115 million adults have prediabetes, many without knowing it. Because insulin resistance often develops years before a diagnosis, addressing it early with lifestyle and clinical strategies can help prevent or slow disease progression.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that helps your body use sugar (also known as glucose) from the food you eat for energy. Insulin resistance arises when your body’s tissues (such as muscle and liver cells) no longer respond to insulin the way that they should.
Imagine insulin is a key, and your cells are locked doors. Normally, insulin unlocks the door so sugar can get in. With insulin resistance, the key (insulin) isn’t working well, causing the cell door to stay partially closed.This causes difficulty utilizing sugar which causes hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels) and hyperglycemia (high glucose/sugar levels in the blood). This leads to high blood sugar and damage to your blood vessels, which can cause health problems over time.
How can the functional medicine perspective help?
Diet and lifestyle are the most powerful tools for improving insulin resistance, from balanced nutrition and regular movement to stress management and quality sleep. Beyond these, factors like gut microbiome composition (click here for more information on how the gut can impact hormones), hormones and environmental exposures can also be integral factors in how sensitive your body is to insulin. By addressing both lifestyle and these underlying contributors, it’s possible to reverse insulin resistance.