Insulin
The master metabolic regulator. Insulin controls not just blood sugar, but fat storage, protein synthesis, and cellular growth. Resistance drives modern chronic disease.
⚡ What Insulin Does
Glucose Uptake
Moves GLUT4 to cell surface in muscle/fat
Fat Storage
Promotes lipogenesis, blocks lipolysis
Glycogen Synthesis
Stores glucose in liver and muscle
Protein Building
Activates mTOR, promotes synthesis
🔺 Insulin Resistance
When cells become less responsive to insulin, the pancreas produces more to compensate. This hyperinsulinemia drives many chronic diseases:
Causes
- • Excess calories, especially refined carbs
- • Visceral (belly) fat accumulation
- • Chronic inflammation
- • Sedentary lifestyle
- • Poor sleep, chronic stress
Consequences
- • Type 2 diabetes
- • Metabolic syndrome
- • PCOS
- • Cardiovascular disease
- • Certain cancers
✅ Improving Insulin Sensitivity
Exercise
Both cardio and resistance training help
Weight Loss
Especially visceral fat reduction
Low Glycemic Diet
Reduce refined carbs and sugar
Intermittent Fasting
Give insulin time to drop
Sleep Optimization
Poor sleep worsens resistance
Berberine
Activates AMPK like metformin
🧪 Testing Insulin Status
Fasting Insulin
Better early marker than glucose. Optimal: <5-7 µIU/mL. Elevated before glucose rises.
HOMA-IR
Calculated from fasting glucose and insulin. Estimates insulin resistance.
Metabolic Connections
Magnesium
Required for insulin signaling—deficiency worsens resistance
Cortisol
Chronically elevated cortisol promotes insulin resistance
Thyroid
Thyroid hormones affect glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity
Chromium
Enhances insulin receptor sensitivity
Zinc
Required for insulin storage and secretion
Inflammation
Inflammatory cytokines block insulin signaling