Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

To understand insulin resistance, it helps to understand a little about how insulin works and its role in the body. Insulin is an essential hormone created in the pancreas, which is involved in the metabolism of sugars in the body. Without it, we can convert the food we eat into usable energy.

When we eat something, much of the digested food is converted into glucose, the main energy source of the body. The pancreas then responds to blood sugar levels by secreting insulin in increasing the blood stream. Most cells in your body contain insulin receptors that help insulin bind to the cell. Once insulin binds to the cell, activate other receptor sites, allowing glucose to enter the cell and provide energy for life.

Insulin also plays other vital roles in the body such as storing food and excess magnesium, sodium retention and management of other hormones in the body including growth hormones, testosterone, and progesterone. Insulin is also responsible for stopping the liver to release fat, a potential metabolic fuel in the blood after a meal.

Insulin resistance occurs when, despite the body produces insufficient amounts of insulin in the body cells become resistant to its effects. When this happens, the body requires more than the normal amount of insulin to take effect, and consequently, the pancreas produces more insulin.

While the pancreas can continue with the high demands of insulin, blood sugar levels remain normal, however, the increased levels of insulin may have other negative health effects such as weight gain, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, fatty liver disease and hormone-related conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). If the pancreas can not proceed further with the demands of insulin, can ocurrit type II diabetes.

Diagnosis of insulin resistance

The diagnosis of insulin resistance is not based solely on insulin levels, but includes a careful medical history and physical examination. Your doctor will want to check your blood pressure, measure body fat or waist circumference, and take some tests to measure glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride and fasting insulin.

What causes insulin resistance?

There are a number of possible causes insulin resistance is a condition that tends to have a strong genetic factor and thus often runs in families.

Causes of insulin resistance

Other causes of insulin resistance include:

* Tension

* Obesity

* Metabolic Syndrome

* Pregnancy

* Infection or illness

* Using steroid

* Side effect of certain medications

Help for insulin resistance with conventional treatment

The primary treatment for insulin resistance is exercise, weight loss and changes in lifestyle.

The reduction of glucose and carbohydrates in the diet and opting for low glycemic index carbohydrates with rather high, is the first step in the management of insulin resistance. Carbohydrates with low glycemic index are absorbed at a slower rate and so glucose is released slowly, reducing the need for increased insulin levels.

In addition, weight loss by exercise, improves cell sensitivity to insulin by increasing the rate at which glucose is absorbed into the body cells. Medications such as Metformin (Glucophage) and thiazolidinediones such as Actos and Avandia are often used in the treatment of Type II diabetes is sometimes recommended for insulin resistance while increasing the sensitivity of cells to insulin. While many of these medications are reasonably effective, they often have unwanted side effects such as liver problems and gastrointestinal toxicity.

Natural Remedies

There is much evidence to suggest that the use of herbal and homeopathic remedies carefully chosen and dietary supplements can help prevent diabetes and keep it under control to those who have already developed.

Along with the correct changes in the way of life, herbal remedies and dietary supplements can reduce or eliminate the need for prescription medication and can also help prevent damage to tissues and organs associated with the sugar levels uncontrolled blood.

Herbs such as Gymnema sylvestre, Galega officinalis and blueberry are some herbs that have proven successful in the control and treatment of diabetes while Chromium picolinate has been shown to improve the effectiveness of insulin.