INSULIN RESISTANCE
When you consume food, it is broken down in the stomach by hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes and sent to the small intestine to be processed further causing blood sugar levels to rise. In response to this rise and in order to maintain healthy levels in the blood, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is responsible for allowing the glucose in your blood to enter cells to provide them with energy, or if the cells already have enough glucose, the excess amount is stored in your muscles, fat, and in the liver for later use when needed. However, when the cells do not respond properly to the insulin by opening to let the glucose in, the pancreas has to secrete more and more insulin to try to open the cells. Insulin resistance occurs when the cells do not respond properly to insulin. The excess glucose still has to go somewhere and since it is not being welcomed into your cells, it gets stored in muscle, fat and in the liver (which overtime can result in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). When your cells are constantly bombarded by relentless attempts to open and allow more and more glucose in(often due to diets high in sugar, carbohydrates, and/or high fat/processed foods) the cells stop responding or become “resistant” to the attempts made by insulin to let the glucose enter. Therefore, blood sugar levels rise. When these levels remain elevated, this results in pre-diabetes. This also puts a strain on the pancreas which has to work harder and harder to try to produce enough insulin to try to keep up with perpetually high blood sugar levels. Untreated insulin resistance can lead to metabolic syndrome and eventually type 2 diabetes.
The Functional Medicine approach to insulin resistance will focus on uncovering why insulin resistance is occurring and then formulating a dietary and lifestyle change that along with specific nutraceuticals will lower inflammation and promote glucose metabolism and enhance insulin receptivity.