07/20/2022
Insulin is the key that unlocks the door to let blood sugar into our cells so it can be used as energy or stored for future use.
Without insulin, blood sugar would be stuck in the bloodstream, unable to get into our cells, which is what happens with type 1 diabetes and is the reason people with type 1 need to take insulin.
Insulin resistance is when our body produces enough insulin, but the lock that allows blood sugar into our muscle cells has been gummed up. By what? Fat—specifically intramyocellular lipid, or fat inside our muscle cells. As the amount of fat, particularly saturated fat, in the diet goes up, our blood sugar spikes.
When researchers lower the level of fat in people’s blood, insulin resistance comes right down. Clear the fat out of the blood, and you can clear the sugar out of the blood, too. Watch the video "What Causes Insulin Resistance?" at http://bit.ly/2t58PeF to learn more.
Not all fats affect muscles the same way. Saturated fats, like palmitate, which is found mostly in meat, dairy, and eggs, cause insulin resistance, whereas unsaturated fats, like oleate, which is found mostly in nuts, olives, and avocados, may actually improve insulin sensitivity. This may explain why those eating plant-based diets have less fat buildup in their muscle cells and less insulin resistance. See the video "Lipotoxicity: How Saturated Fat Raises Blood Sugar" at https://bit.ly/3t1TWc1.
In How Not to Die, Dr. Greger explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions may trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live more healthful lives. See https://nutritionfacts.org/book.
