Let’s discuss type 2 diabetes.
The reason for this discussion is that many people may not understand what the fuss is about and why people in the low-carb world talk about diabetes so much.
In a nutshell, diabetes is the mother of all diseases.
Diabetes is the end result of high insulin, the hormone that controls blood glucose (sugar).
The actual mechanisms of how diabetes happens are still the subject of scientific debate. Some scientists say obesity leading to inflammation and insulin resistance, while others put these factors in a different order.
Whatever comes first, this is what happens:
The inability to control blood glucose with a certain amount of insulin means the pancreas secretes more insulin to do the job.
So, someone may have normal blood glucose, but need a high amount of insulin to keep it normal.
After a while, usually many years, the pancreas cannot keep up, cannot secrete enough insulin, and blood sugar rises. When blood sugar is high enough, diabetes is diagnosed.
It’s clear that, even if you have a normal blood sugar, you can be on your way to diabetes, if you need a high amount of insulin to control your blood sugar.
The late Dr. Joseph Kraft discovered that some 80% of his patients had abnormal insulin levels, but a normal fasting glucose.[i]
Some 50% of American adults, middle-aged and up, have metabolic syndrome, that is, they are pre-diabetic.[ii]
Diabetics have large increased risks of cancer and heart disease, as well as blindness and many other unpleasant conditions.
That fact points to the idea that high insulin lies behind many, most, or even all chronic diseases of civilization.
So, whether someone has reached the point of frank diabetes or not, high insulin places them at greater risk of chronic disease.
So, we circle back around to what I constantly talk about keep insulin resistance low – or insulin sensitivity high, which is the same thing.
Nothing could be more critical for your health.
If diabetes if the mother of all diseases, insulin is the master hormone, for good or ill.
I hope this brief explanation of the importance of diabetes clears a few things up.
Diabetes develops over a long period of time, even up to 20 years or more.[iii]
And just because your blood sugar isn’t elevated doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods, since your insulin could be high.
How do you stay insulin sensitive?
Good diet and good exercise are a huge part of it.
Good diet: The World’s Simplest Fat Loss Plan – which, by the way, is not just for fat loss, but for all-around healthy eating.
Good exercise: One-Hour Fitness – the most efficient, health-giving exercise.
Peace and health.