A healthy person’s insulin and blood sugar regulation system is comparable to a strong economy. Inflation is like insulin resistance. So, let’s take a look at the surprising causes behind the insulin resistance epidemic.
Recently, there has been discussion about the pandemic that is insulin resistance. Obesity, pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and dementia are all disorders that are alarmingly attributed to insulin resistance.
But why does insulin resistance exist in the first place?
According to Dr. Benjamin Bikman, a scientist and researcher at Brigham Young University, one of the top private research universities in the country, “insulin resistance is a pandemic that you’ve never heard of.”
An investigation conducted by UAE University in 2020 and published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health makes the gravity (read below) of the insulin resistance issue in recent years even more clear.
More than one in ten people have type 2 diabetes in nations with high prevalence. The prevalence of diabetes increases with geographic economic development. Despite a number of public health initiatives, the frequency in certain wealthy countries is still sharply rising, and there are no signs that this trend will change soon.
Type 2 diabetes is brought on by insulin resistance, which is also intimately linked to the pathogenesis of other chronic diseases. Numerous chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and vascular disorders, are more common in the population as a result of the prevalence of insulin resistance.
More than one in ten people have type 2 diabetes in nations with high prevalence. The prevalence of diabetes increases with geographic economic development. Despite a number of public health initiatives, the frequency in certain wealthy countries is still sharply rising, and there are no signs that this trend will change soon.
Type 2 diabetes is brought on by insulin resistance, which is also intimately linked to the pathogenesis of other chronic diseases. Numerous chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and vascular disorders, are more common in the population as a result of the prevalence of insulin resistance.
A Silent Warning from the Pancreas
The pancreas is an organ located just beneath your stomach and close to your liver that somewhat resembles a corncob.
The hormone insulin, which is created by the pancreas and transports extra sugar to cells, reduces blood sugar levels. Your blood sugar rises after eating, and insulin production is increased in an effort to maintain a steady blood sugar level. Your blood sugar level will drop after physical activity or a lengthy period of hunger, and your insulin level will follow suit.
The pancreas is a stickler for detail. It always produces just the right amount of insulin, neither more nor less, to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
But as insulin resistance develops, the cells lose their sensitivity to the insulin. The insulin released at first will not be enough to control blood sugar levels any longer. In order to lower blood sugar at this moment, the pancreas is under pressure, so it scrambles to generate more insulin.
We can use the economics as an example. A healthy person’s insulin and blood sugar regulation system is comparable to a strong economy. Inflation is like insulin resistance. For instance, by spending one “insulin coin,” the pancreas can reduce blood sugar levels by a set amount. However, to have the same effect with insulin resistance, 10 “insulin coins” are needed.
Furthermore, insulin resistance is not directly felt by humans.
The body first appears to be in perfect condition, and the blood sugar level is within the normal range. The situation is different within the body, where the pancreas has been overworked and is now producing its maximum amount of insulin, which will eventually cause fasting blood glucose levels to increase.
This could be a strong indication of insulin resistance from the body. Additionally, a sign of diabetes is a high blood triglyceride level. Before type 2 diabetes develops, insulin resistance can be identified early by measuring blood triglyceride and insulin levels.
The Surprising Reasons for Insulin Resistance
Many people think that obesity and excessive sugar and sweets consumption are the causes of insulin resistance, and that the best way to treat it is to eat more vegetables, low-glycemic index fruits, and less refined carbs.
They are unaware that there are certain important hidden elements that contribute to insulin resistance.
Pesticides on fruits and vegetables
You may have overlooked the pesticides on the apple peels when you ate apples to lower your blood sugar. These insecticides can cause insulin resistance, which subsequently raises the chance of developing diabetes.
In the large-scale commercial manufacturing of contemporary agricultural products, pesticides are frequently utilized. Insecticide, bactericide, and herbicide are the three main impacts of pesticides. Pesticide residues are present in nearly all fruits and vegetables that consumers purchase from the market, despite the fact that all countries have established upper limits for pesticide residue levels in food. You might come into contact with pesticides, such as insecticides and herbicides, while maintaining your own yard.
The human body can not effectively metabolize or eliminate pesticides, so even minute amounts can build up over time. The presence of pesticide residues in human blood, body fat, and breast milk has been extensively studied.
More than 80% of people had six chemical pollutants in their blood, the majority of which were regularly used chlorinated pesticides and herbicides, according to the National Health and Examination Survey 1999–2002.
Researchers also discovered that as blood pesticide levels rose, so did the risk of diabetes.
When compared to those with very low levels of pesticides in their blood, people with low and moderate levels had a 14–15 times greater chance of getting diabetes. The risk of developing diabetes was 38 times higher in people with high blood levels of pesticides.
Such a strong correlation is enough to cast doubt on epidemiological research.
Environmental hormones
In reality, in addition to pesticides, the ubiquitous “environmental hormones” of today can significantly worsen insulin resistance.
Although the word “environmental hormones” may not be recognizable to you, you have undoubtedly heard of plasticizers and preservatives, which are a subset of the environmental hormone family.
Endocrine-disrupting substances are another name for environmental hormones (EDCs). These compounds have endocrine hormone-like molecular structures, so if they enter the body, it will recognize them as “its own” and respond to their commands. This disrupts the endocrine system and causes body functions to malfunction.
In every aspect of life, environmental hormones are concealed. They are present in many types of ornamental materials, plastic cups and bottles, take-out containers, food wrappers with plastic lamination, cans with inner coatings, cleaning products, cosmetics, toothpaste, lipstick, hand sanitizers, and other commonplace things. Environmental hormones are all around us, yet we are ignorant of how dangerous they can be.
While the FDA discovered that more than 1,800 environmental hormones might affect the endocrine system, the European Commission examined 575 substances and discovered that 320 of them could.
Several non-infectious diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, thyroid disease, neurodevelopmental disorders, hormone-dependent malignancies (such as breast cancer), and reproductive problems have been linked to environmental hormones, according to a review that was published in The Lancet in 2020. The re-establishment of regulatory norms and regulations for such compounds is also demanded in order to lessen public exposure to them.
We frequently come into contact with a number of environmental hormones during life, including:
Environmental hormones in plastics: phthalates and bisphenol A
One of the most often utilized plasticizers is phthalates. They serve as plasticizers for PVC plastic products, and because PVC is not chemically bound to them, they are free to circulate in the environment. Although the human body may temporarily break down phthalates through the urine and blood, the truth is that we are constantly exposed to these chemicals due to our use of plastic objects.
They can cause the body to produce fat and inflammatory reactions, raise insulin resistance, and aid in the onset of type 2 diabetes. High urine phthalate concentrations are associated with a 48 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
One of the compounds that is most frequently produced worldwide is undoubtedly bisphenol A (BPA). You might not realize that the receipt you receive after making a transaction also includes BPA, which can get into your system through skin contact and inhaling. Additionally, it might contaminate packaged food that you later consume.
Over nine years, some French researchers monitored 755 healthy people. The findings revealed that, in comparison to those with the lowest levels, those with gradually higher levels of BPA in their urine had a 56 percent to 156 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Non-stick coating: perfluoroalkyl substances
A broad class of artificial fluorochemicals known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) mostly consists of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). They can be found on the wrappers of hamburgers as well as on the interior coatings of non-stick cans and pans. Our body washes and hand soaps also include them. In contrast to plasticizers, which can be broken down relatively rapidly, PFASs are extremely resistant to disintegration, heat, acid, and can collect and stay in the body for years. Some PFASs can even cross the placenta and get inside the developing fetus.
A decade-long study by American researchers on around 1,000 individuals revealed that a person’s chance of developing diabetes rose by 14% with every doubling of the level of PFOA in their blood.
Another finding from this study is also important to note: If one follows a healthy lifestyle, including weight management, diet modification, and appropriate exercise, then even though the blood concentration of these compounds rises, the chance of developing diabetes does not.
This demonstrates that even if environmental hormones are collecting all around us, maintaining a healthy lifestyle still allows us to defend ourselves from harm.
Preservatives: triclosan and paraben
In addition to body wash and toothpaste, numerous additional cleaning supplies also include triclosan as an antibacterial preservative. Triclosan interferes with the integrity of bacterial cell membranes and lipid production, which prevents the growth of germs. However, this environmental hormone will enter our bodies through our skin and oral mucosa and alter our hormone secretion if we use triclosan-containing products to brush our teeth, take a shower, and wash our hands.
Another preservative, paraben, is also antimicrobial and reasonably priced; as a result, it is frequently employed in everyday items, including food and medication.
Parabens have actions akin to estrogen. After entering the body, they are combined with natural estrogen and stored in adipocytes, raising the body’s overall estrogen level. The buildup of estrogen in the body raises the risk of breast cancer in addition to interfering with the body’s ability to burn fat and process sugar, which makes people more vulnerable to diabetes.
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“Many people think that obesity and excessive sugar and sweets consumption are the causes of insulin resistance…” And many people are correct. And that’s been known for over a hundred years.
Pesticides may contribute to the problem. They are poisons. However, excessive consumption of carbohydrates, especially sugars, is the cause.
Strange, no mention of seed oils. I don’t doubt the work done, only the implication that there are no other large contributors to insulin resistance.
You might want to reconsider the carb idea. Realize that there are groups of people, Sumo wrestlers being a good example, who eat large amounts of excess carbs and are very obese yet still metabolically healthy.
Of course, sugar, especially refined in excess amounts, isn’t as innocuous.