05/29/2026
🚨 Insulin Resistance: The Metabolic Problem Most People Don’t Know They Have
Most people think diabetes starts when blood sugar becomes elevated.
In reality, insulin resistance often begins YEARS, sometimes decades, before glucose or A1C become abnormal.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas that signals cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream for energy.
As cells become resistant to insulin’s signal, the pancreas compensates by producing more insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
This state is called hyperinsulinemia.
In many individuals, blood sugar remains normal because insulin levels become abnormally high.
In other words:
Normal glucose does not always mean normal metabolism.
🧠 Think of it this way:
Imagine insulin is a delivery driver bringing fuel to your cells. Normally, the cells quickly accept the delivery. Over time, however, the cells become less responsive and start ignoring the driver’s knocks.
Rather than allowing fuel to accumulate in the bloodstream, the body sends more and more delivery drivers (insulin) to complete the same task.
The result?
Blood sugar may appear normal while insulin levels continue to rise.
What happens when insulin stays elevated?
Insulin is not just a blood sugar hormone.
It also influences fat storage, inflammation, blood vessel function, reproductive hormones, liver metabolism, and appetite regulation.
Chronically elevated insulin levels have been associated with:
• Increased abdominal fat accumulation
• Suppression of fat burning (lipolysis)
• Increased hunger and cravings
• Elevated triglycerides
• Fatty liver disease
• PMOS
• Hypertension
• Endothelial dysfunction
• Systemic inflammation
• Increased cardiovascular risk
Common signs of insulin resistance may include:
• Difficulty losing weight
• Increased waist circumference
• Fatigue after meals
• Brain fog
• Sugar cravings
• Skin tags
• Acanthosis nigricans (darkened skin folds)
• Elevated triglycerides
• Low HDL cholesterol
What contributes to insulin resistance?
• Excess visceral fat
• Physical inactivity
• Sleep deprivation
• Chronic stress and elevated cortisol
• Genetics
• PMOS
• Aging
• Highly processed diets
• Certain medications
Left untreated, insulin resistance can progress to:
➡️ Prediabetes
➡️ Type 2 diabetes
➡️ Metabolic syndrome
➡️ Fatty liver disease
➡️ Heart disease
➡️ Stroke
How can insulin resistance be improved?
Research consistently supports:
✅ Regular exercise
✅ Resistance training
✅ Improved sleep quality
✅ Stress management
✅ Increased protein and fiber intake
✅ Reducing ultra processed foods
✅ Weight loss when appropriate
In some cases, medications may also be helpful, including:
💊 Metformin, which helps improve insulin sensitivity and reduce glucose production by the liver
💊 GLP 1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, which can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce appetite, promote weight loss, and improve metabolic health
Some supplements may also help support insulin sensitivity:
💊 Berberine, a plant derived compound that has been shown in studies to improve insulin sensitivity, fasting glucose, A1C, and triglycerides in some individuals
💊 Inositol, which may improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic function, particularly in women with PMOS
🔬 Nerdy fact:
Berberine activates AMPK, often called the body’s “metabolic master switch.” AMPK helps regulate glucose uptake, fat metabolism, and energy production within cells.
🔬 Another fascinating fact:
Many researchers believe hyperinsulinemia may be detectable 10 to 20 years before the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.
By the time glucose becomes abnormal, the metabolic dysfunction has often been developing silently for years.
Sometimes the first abnormal lab isn’t blood sugar.
It’s elevated triglycerides, increasing waist circumference, fatty liver disease, rising insulin levels, or unexplained weight gain.
The earlier insulin resistance is recognized, the more opportunity there is to intervene before complications develop.
