Blood sugar stabilization is essential as each blood glucose spike and dip can cause brain damage. Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and dementia four fold. Yet persons with normal blood glucose can have the same increased risks because the process towards diabetes starts long before it can be measured in the doctor’s office. The risks for diabetes start when the fasting morning glucose levels are 81: the risk for heart disease starts when the the fasting glucose levels are 84. We cannot rely on normal medical laboratory values to be sure that we are healthy. Typically, lab values that are based on 95 % of the population most of whom have chronic diseases. Also, lab values do not typically appear abnormal until a person is 75 % along the path toward the chronic disease. Learn how to “look under the hood.” to assess the status your metabolic status and risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
A disease in which the body’s ability to produce or
respond to the hormone insulin is impaired, resulting in
abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated
levels of glucose in the blood and urine
B. Insulin
A hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. The lack of insulin causes a form of diabetes.
It regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats by facilitating sugar getting into the fat, liver and muscle cells so it can be transferred into other substances.
C. Insulin Resistance
The body does not use insulin properly. The pancreas
makes extra insulin to make up for it. Over time the
pancreas is not able to make enough insulin to keep
blood glucose at normal levels.
As a result, glucose cannot get into the cell and blood glucose levels increase
It is the root cause for diabetes
Process begins in beta cells of the pancreas dysfunctional insulin leads to the production of too much insulin
Etiology for each person is different
D. Diabetes I
The type of diabetes where there is insufficient insulin
and the person has to take insulin shots
E. Diabetes II
The type of diabetes where the body does not use insulin
properly.
Diabetics have four times the risk for a stroke
Diabetics have three times the risk for a heart attack
There is a continuum, where patients pass through irregular blood sugar levels, then insulin resistance, prediabetes and diabetes.
II. HEALTH RISKS OCCUR BEFORE DIABETES OCCURS
Persons on the continuum towards diabetes suffer the same consequences / risks as persons diagnosed with diabetes
They have four times the risk for a stroke
They have three times the risk for a heart attack
They can have normal fasting blood sugar levels of 75 and still have insulin resistance and its adverse consequences.
30 % of people with normal weight are diabetic
III. HEALTH RISKS OF UNSTABLE BLOOD SUGARS
It is important to keep blood levels stable.
The body likes balance and equilibrium
Sugar spikes and dips can affect health.
Insults the brain and sets off a cascade causing brain damage
nervous system and causes inflammation
Leads to advanced glycated end products (AGE) which are involved in eye problem kidney problem and loss of limb associated with diabetes
Excess sugar becomes free radical and tries to become stabilized causing damage to fats and proteins inflammation
IV. HEALTH RISKS OF INSULIN RESISTANCE
Prediabetes and people with erratic increases in blood sugars have the same risk.
Increase thickness of blood vessels
Is associated with sleep apnea and polycystic ovary syndrome
Most cancer patients have insulin resistance
Is associated with a fatty liver although liver lab test may not detect this
V. CAUSES OF INSULIN RESISTANCE
A. TOXINS
Persistent organic pollutants
Italian study showed exposure to dioxin increased the
risk for insulin resistance and diabetes
Heavy metals such as mercury in fillings
Mercury treated as toxin, banned in the EU for persons under the age 15, yet routinely put in teeth in the US
Arsenic used as a fumigant to protect rice from mold The arsenic in ½ cup white rice has arsenic over daily EPA limit
PCBs likely to cause insulin resistance
Toxins found in detergents, skin cream products,
B. FOODS
Processed foods
Food additives (added to preserve shelf life
High fructose corn syrup
Skin creams air
Fresheners
Sugar substitutes
Gluten
Genetically modified foods (GMO)
Nutrient deficiencies
Food sensitivities
C. LIFESTYLE
Lack of sleep. Sleeping six hours per nigh can lead to insulin resistance
Stress
D. CHANGES IN MICROBIOME – A BIG CONTRIBUTOR
Prescription drugs
Statins can lead to heart attacks. They decrease adiponectin and deplete co Q 10.
Protein pump inhibitors
Poor chewing, digestion, and poor intestinal absorption
Three ways bad gut bugs lead to inflammation
1. lipopolysaccharide (called LPS – the cell wall of gram negative bacteria). These are proinflammatory and are constantly breaking down. Normally the body gets rid of them, but a diet that is high in fat and sugar impedes the ability to breakdown LPS resulting in an increase in the toxins released from these bacteria leading to inflammation and subsequent insulin resistance.
2. Gut bacteria break fiber down into short-chained fatty acids (SCFA) which feed the good bacteria in the colon and help absorb nutrition from food. In a diet low in fiber, there is an insufficient amount of SFCA produced which creates more inflammation
3. The good gut bugs conjugate bile acid to make secondary protective bile acids which decrease inflammation
VI. TESTS FOR THOSE ON PATH TO DIABETES
People can have a disease and current tests will not show it
People can have the same risks as people with diabetes, and current tests will not show it.
There is a need for earlier measures because if it is determined early enough, the process can be reversed.
A. HbA1c precise better indicator of heart disease than cholesterol
B. Insulin and Sugar Levels after a meal
Abnormalities in these levels are part of the first step leading to insulin resistance.
This measures blood glucose irregularities and insulin resistance before the current test of fasting blood sugar levels
Postprandial (after a meal ) insulin after eating 75 g of sugar (equivalent to a bagel and a glass of orange juice)
C. Adiponectin
Abnormalities show insulin resistance
in its earliest stage.
Adiponectin falls as insulin levels increase.
D. Proinsulin
A precursor to insulin: assesses pancreas’ ability to
make insulin.
E. Fasting insulin
VII. WHY DOCTORS DON’T MEASURE EARLY MEASURES
15 – 25 years for discovery to be implemented in practice.
Medical education is typically 15 – 25 years behind studies.
Labs not change norms which includes 95 % of the people within the normal range.
Labs are set up to detect disease not function
The disease show up when 25 % of normal
VIII. HOW TO DECREASE INSULIN RESISTANCE /INCREASE INSULIN SENSITIVITY
A. STABILIZE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
Minimize glycemic load. That is if a concentrated sweet is eaten, add fiber and healthy fats to minimize the sugar impact.
B. DIET
E.g. the Mediterranean diet
Rich in fish, olive oil,
Vegetables
colourful vegetables
10 – 12 portions fruit, vegetables per day
if insulin resistant, then eat low glycemic fruits such as berries, apples, oranges and pears
Fiber at least 35 grams per day (flax seeds, chia, coconut flour, all vegetables, nuts)
A change in diet can change the gut microbiota in 24 hours
Caloric Restriction
Don’t eat from dinner until at least 12 hours later
Nutriceutical supplements and antioxidants help feed the body and eliminate toxins
Probiotics decrease gut inflammation and bring balance to the gut.
Prebiotics to feed good bacteria
C. AVOID
Toxins
Gluten, wheat
food preservatives
high fructose corn syrup
non caloric sweeteners
prepackaged foods
toxins
detergent use
skin cream products
air fresheners
D. LIFE STYLE
Exercise
Lower stress (change reaction to stress)
Our thoughts
Connect with spiritual source
E. DETOXIFICATION
Specific for each toxin
IX. TAKE AWAY POINTS
Thin people may have diabetes
Fat people may not have diabetes
Like with cardiovascular disease there is a continuum of risk factors.
The risk for diabetes and heart disease begins when fasting blood sugars are in the low 80’s
People with all normal current lab tests can have the same increased risk factors as those who have diabetes
These conditions may be reversed if found early enough
Studies show that life style changes can be more effective that the diabetic medication, metformin.
