Insulin Resistance
I recently looked up the video of the BYU Speech I was enthralled with last summer to watch it again. I was just as impressed this time. The speech is called “The Plagues of Prosperity” and it is given by Dr. Benjamin Bikman, who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology at Brigham Young University.
The following are some of my notes from Dr. Bikman’s speech.
The plagues of prosperity include Cancer (10 million deaths annually), Heart Disease (20 million deaths annually), Alzheimers Disease (50 million people affected), and Diabetes (500 million people affected).
All of these disease are caused by or exacerbated by Insulin Resistance.
Insulin Resistance is the most common disorder worldwide, affecting 1/2 of all adults in the US, Canada, Mexico, and China.
Our modern dietary habits result in elevated insulin levels throughout the day, leading to insulin resistance.
Insulin Resistance causes an alteration in the mitochondria in heart cells.
Insulin Resistance is powerfully predictive of heart disease, increasing the risk by over 40 times.
Alzheimer’s Disease is occasionally called Diabetes Type 3, an extension of Type 2 diabetes.
The second most significant variable in determining ones risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease is fasting insulin levels, second only to Family History.
Insulin facilitates glucose being moved from the blood into the brain for use. Insulin Resistance causes impairment in this process - known as glucose hypometabolism.
Insulin is necessary to store fat.
Insulin increases our levels of white fat (slow metabolic rate, used to store energy).
Insulin also changes our brown fat (high metabolic rate similar to muscle) and shifts it to become white fat.
Our lifestyle is a cause of so many of our chronic diseases, but it can also be the cure.
We must control insulin to control our metabolic health.
We should avoid eating foods that cause a significant spike in insulin levels. This means be careful with carbohydrates, particularly refined sugars and refined starches, as they cause up to a 10 times increase in insulin levels and keep it elevated for several hours.
Protein causes a slight increase in insulin levels.
Fat consumption has no effect on insulin.
Be smart about the types of carbohydrates we consume. Common sense is typically a good guide. Fruits and vegetables will have a much smaller effect on insulin levels than foods that come in a bag or with a bar code.
Sugar is uniquely terrible for causing prolonged insulin spikes.
We should prioritize protein, consuming about 1 gram of protein per kg of body weight.
We need to stop fearing fat. Focus on eating the right kinds of fat.
Find out for yourself what is the truth. Study the published research articles, paying close attention to the experimental model used, in order to know the truth.
Have an open mind, allowing data and not dogma to dictate your decisions.
Test what you learn to find out if it works for you.
Be patient and endure the initial discomfort that comes with any change.
The 1/2 century of metabolic advice of “eat less and exercise more” has not worked. This puts us in a constant battle against hunger, and hunger almost always wins.
Do not judge someone in line buying a coffee, particularly if you are in line to buy a soda.