Sweet cravings? Constant fatigue even after eating? Check your insulin levels now, advice doctors

Insulin resistance and diabetes — two interconnected yet distinct health conditions — have been the subject of intense discussion on social media.

Limited literature and awareness on insulin resistance means that there is a demand for information on the difference between the two and why it might be important to know if one is insulin resistant.

Dr Sudhir Kumar, Consultant Neurologist from Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad, says, “Diabetes and prediabetes are among the commonest risk factors of stroke and heart attack. Doctors have realised that it is better to prevent diabetes and coronary vascular disease. Treatment most often does not result in complete recovery. Therefore, interest in recognising insulin resistance (IR) has gone up in recent times.”

Difference between diabetes and insulin resistance

Endocrinologists say that diabetes and insulin resistance are related but distinct conditions that involve problems with insulin, produced by the pancreas. Insulin plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels.

Dr Abhay Gundgurthi, an endocrinologist from The Sagar Centre for Diabetes in Bengaluru, to explains the difference.

“Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterised by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) due to either inadequate insulin production or the body’s inability to use insulin effectively. The body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. As a result, people with type 1 diabetes produce little-to-no insulin. They require insulin injections or an insulin pump to manage their blood sugar levels effectively,” Dr Gundgurthi tells South First.

 

“In type 2 diabetes, it is a combination of insulin resistance and reduced insulin production. Insulin resistance means the body’s cells do not respond well to insulin and, as a result, glucose uptake into cells is impaired.

“This leads to higher blood sugar levels. Initially, the pancreas compensates by producing more insulin but, over time, it may become unable to keep up with the body’s demands, leading to insufficient insulin levels,” Dr Gundgurthi explains.

He adds that insulin resistance is a key factor in the development of type 2 diabetes.

Putting it more simply, gastroenterologist Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, who recently spoke to a group of 400 youngsters aged 17-19 years on the subject, tells South First: “Glucose is fuel for our body’s cells. Insulin is required for glucose to enter the body’s cells, where it can be burned as energy. When this entry becomes difficult for various reasons, it is called insulin resistance. Consequently, the cell is unable to use the glucose that is circulating in bloodstream.”

Symptoms of insulin resistance

Sharing her struggle with insulin resistance, Jyoti Bhupati, a 43-year-old content writer from Bengaluru, says, “I was puzzled by my constant fatigue even after eating a meal. My energy levels were extremely low and I would constantly crave for sugary food. Immediately after eating those I would feel giddy, sometimes black out too. My waist size began to expand as well.”

Similarly, businessman Sanjay Shriram recalls that the darkness around his neck began to increase. Interestingly, he was very lean but eating certain foods like ice cream and wheat would cause him to sweat, feel dizzy, and there were skin tags on his face too. Sanjay also felt very sleepy in the afternoons after lunch.

That is when their doctors asked Bhupati and Shriram to get a HOMA IR blood test done and diagnosed them with insulin resistance.

“I was advised dietary changes and exercise. It was challenging, but it helped me avoid diabetes,” says Shriram.

Similarly, 50-year-old Deepak Shinde recounts his journey with diabetes, “I wish I had known about insulin resistance earlier. I neglected the signs and eventually developed type 2 diabetes. It’s been tough, but with proper medication and lifestyle adjustments, I manage it.”

Dr Mohan V, a renowned diabetologist from Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialty Centre, in a recent video, gives a simple tip to measure IR. He says, “Using an inch tape, one should measure the waist size. If it is above 80 cm for women and above 90 cm for male, then you probably are insulin resistant.”

Dr Gundgurthi adds that another good marker for IR is fasting lipid blood test or triglycerides ratio to HDL.

“Triglycerides to HDL ratio has to be below 2. Anything above that means the person is insulin resistance,” explains Shashi Iyengar, a metabolic health coach who works in the field of low-carb nutrition for diabetes remission.

He also warns that it is not true that only those who are obese and have increased waist size are insulin resistant. “In India, even lean people are prone to be insulin resistant,” he He tells South First.

Why does insulin resistance occur?

According to Iyengar, IR often occurs due to genetic predisposition, however, lifestyle factors such as obesity, sedentary behaviour, and an unhealthy diet can also contribute to its development.

Although insulin resistance itself is not diabetes, it is a significant precursor to type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body can’t use insulin effectively, resulting in high blood sugar levels.

“Insulin resistance is a warning sign that the body’s glucose-regulating system is struggling. Early detection and lifestyle changes can help prevent progression to diabetes,” he says.

Dr Rajeev Jayadevan adds that advancing age, lack of exercise, abdominal obesity due to bad dietary choices, lack of sleep, familial factors, and hormonal imbalance such as polycystic ovarian syndrome could worsen insulin resistance.

“While all the factors are not preventable, health education at an early age to avoid as many factors as possible will reduce the impact of insulin resistance in future,” adds Dr Rajeev.

How to test for insulin resistance

Being overweight or obese, an impaired glucose tolerance test, HbA1c levels >5.7, and abnormal lipid profile (elevated total & LDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and lower HDL cholesterol levels) are all markers of insulin resistance.

Dr Sudhir Kumar says that fasting insulin levels are also useful in some cases, as people with IR have elevated fasting insulin levels.

He explains that the cornerstone of managing IR is exercise — both aerobic exercises and strength training, along with weight control. Diets low in carbohydrate have been advocated to reduce the insulin resistance. There is no approved medicines for treating IR.

Why is insulin resistance dangerous?

Insulin resistance is the precursor for many serious diseases, most notably diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, explains Dr Sudhir Kumar.

A recent school-based study from a city in eastern India showed that a higher prevalence of insulin resistance was seen in children who were overweight or obese. The study claimed that around 32.3 percent of children who were overweight or obese had a HOMA IR level of 2.5 and above. This could predict an increased future risk of adverse cardiovascular events in the studied children. The findings of this study could help in planning and implementing primary prevention programmes targeting weight management and lifestyle change in school children.

“It is not just in adults, there is an increase in children too showing insulin resistance. This is dangerous and there are several diseases that are associated with insulin resistance,” explains Shashi Iyengar.

Dr Rajeev explains that IR is the central axis of multiple disease conditions, including type 2 diabetes, and contributes to obesity and heart disease.

Studies have shown that chronic stress, ultra-processed food, sugar, lack of sleep, refined carbohydrates, sedentary lifestyle, and use of seed oils can lead to insulin resistance. This, in turn, can lead to the risk of heart disease, erectile dysfunction, stroke, high blood pressure, certain cancers, gout, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, inflammation, migraines, PCOS, arthritis, osteoarthritis, and dementia.

Ways to reduce insulin resistance

Dr Abhay explains that insulin resistance is possible and can be completely reversed by making lifestyle changes.

Exercising is the easiest way to improve insulin sensitivity and the effects are almost immediate. One can lose belly fat too through this. Also, reducing sugar intake, ultra-processed food, stopping seed oil consumption, following a low carbohydrate diet, and adding protein to your diet can help.

Dr Shraddhey Katiyar, a doctor known well on Twitter for his tips on managing insulin resistance, says that signs your insulin resistance is improving or your HOMA IR level is falling include:

• not feeling hungry after meals
• not having much sugar cravings
• decreasing triglycerides
• increasing HDL
• reduction in waist size
• regularisation of periods
• reduction in body and joint pain

 

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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5 Harmful Sugar Substitutes

We all know the harmful effect that excessive sugar consumption has on our weight and our overall health, and therefore many of us try to avoid it as much as possible. However, we still want sweet-tasting foods and drinks, and this has led to the invention and development of various artificial substitutes that mimic the effects of sugar.

However, while artificial sweeteners have attracted quite a few fans, research has shown that their effects may be very far from positive. Meet the 5 best known artificial sweeteners, some of which we add to our food ourselves and some of them we meet on labels, which can endanger your health and cause much more harm than good ...

1. Acesulfame K This ingredient, marked on food labels as E950, is especially sweet and does not break down when heated or baked. Thanks to these two characteristics, many companies use it in baked goods, soft drinks and soda, jellies, chewing gum, and various dairy desserts, as well as hygiene products such as toothpaste and mouthwash. However, this sweet substitute contains methylene chloride, which at high concentrations is considered to be carcinogenic. Long-term exposure to it can cause headaches, depression, and nausea, and in some cases can also impair thyroid function.

2. Aspartame 

This artificial sweetener is 180 times as sweet as standard sugar, made up of two amino acids and is used in the paint industry as a solvent. In recent years, this sweetener has become particularly popular, so if you consume diet drinks, cereal or sugarless chewing gum, you’ve likely come across it under the E951 label. Although this substitute is labeled safe for use by the Food and Drug Administration, it is one of the most controversial substitutes and is associated with a variety of side effects and medical problems. 

 

Several animal studies have found that aspartame can cause cancer, and other studies have linked it to an increased risk of brain tumors. Other claims examined in the studies touched on questions about the effects of Aspartame on mental state and headaches, and some found that there was an increased risk of worsening the existing situation in those who had suffered from depression and migraines in the past.

3. Saccharin  

Saccharin, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1970, is used by many people as a sweetener for tea or coffee, and food companies add it to jams, candies, sauces, and pastries. However, back in 1977, a study was published in which rats who had consumed a large amount of saccharin had an increased incidence of bladder cancer - leading to a warning on products containing the supplement. 

 

Since then, many trials and studies have been conducted to examine the association between saccharin and cancer, and because the findings were inconclusive, the Food and Drug Administration ordered the warning to be removed. However, doctors are still divided on the question of the safety of the supplement to use in general, and by pregnant women in particular, as sucrose passes the placenta and may remain in the body of the fetus.

4. High-fructose corn syrup 

The source of this elusive artificial supplement, which you may not have noticed in the ingredients of the food you buy, is the sweet and sticky agave plant syrup, which is considered a natural and healthy alternative to sugar because of its low glycemic value. The reaction of the commercial companies to the popularity of agave syrup, which contains fructose, was to take the fructose (fruit sugar) and combine it with harmful corn syrup. The result is many sweet foods such as ice creams, yogurts, and various snacks, which contain excessive amounts of sugar that can be harmful to your health. 

 

When large amounts of fructose reach the liver, it's quickly converted into triglycerides, fatty components linked to a variety of problems, such as cardiovascular disease and even obesity.

5. Sucralose  

This sweetener is twice as sweet as saccharin and three times as sweet as Aspartame, and commercial companies use it mainly in pastries or products that require a long shelf life. Sucralose is often marked as E955. While this is an ingredient approved for use by the FDA, various studies suggest that it may negatively affect our body, but its long-term health effects are not clear. 

 

A small-scale study of obese people that did not consume artificial sweeteners in the past found that their blood sugar levels were increased by 14% and insulin levels increased by 20%. Another study found that adding sucralose to a mouse’s diet had negative effects on the intestinal microbial environment. 

 

Other researchers have advised against the use of sucralose in cooking and baking because they found that at high temperatures, substances that could damage intestinal health were released. Hence, although no conclusive evidence of damage to humans has been found due to the use of sucralose, it is recommended to reduce use as much as possible and to avoid cooking and baking with it altogether.

In conclusion: Many of us assume that as long as we don’t use artificial sweeteners in large quantities, there is nothing to worry about. In the case of saccharin, for example, the recommendation is to consume no more than 18 tablets per day for an adult weighing about 70 kilograms - a quantity that is, of course, far from most of our daily consumption. 

 

However, it is important to know that many drinks and foods combine a number of artificial sweeteners to eliminate their aftertaste and contribute to the shelf life of different products, so we actually consume a much greater amount of sweeteners than we might think. 

 

The most recommended solution is to reduce the amount of artificial sweeteners we consume as much as possible, carefully read the labels of processed food we buy, and to know the healthy and natural sugar substitutes found in almost every kitchen that is suitable for cooking, baking and adding flavor to our favorite foods.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Why Do Diabetic People Need To Eat Fat?

Diabetes is a condition that affects the pancreas to the extent that it does not release the required quantity of insulin, which can lead to a high blood sugar level as the body starts to absorb excess glucose from the food that it ingests. This can be of various types and have different implications for different patients. While many experts insist that keeping a low cholesterol level and low weight is a primary requirement for the treatment of diabetes patients, there are a number of myths in this regard. Not eating fat is one such myth that we are out to prove wrong today.

So read on to find out why diabetic people need to eat fat:
    Saturated Fats and Trans Fats: There are studies that demonstrate how saturated fats can actually prove to be beneficial for diabetes patients. These can be found in various sources like fish and nuts. This releases heptadecanoic acids, which can normalise the blood sugar levels as well as the insulin and triglyceride levels in the body.

    Dairy Fat: The use of milk and yogurt as well as butter can actually be helpful in bringing the blood sugar levels down. It also shows up favourably on the lipoprotein markers. Butter, in particular, is known to have clarifying properties that can bring down the risk of diabetes as well. One must take care to use dairy products that are fat-free.  

    Animal Fat: Having meat which releases fat and having dairy products like cheese and milk which releases healthy saturated fats are two different things. One can replace carbs and meat with these kinds of products so that there are better absorption and creation of quality animal fats which can actually help the insulin levels.

    Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats: Food items like fish and nuts that carry high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids as well as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help patients suffering from diabetes by clearing the bloodstream of cholesterol and high lipid levels. This also prevents the risk of heart disease and arterial blockages. These kinds of fats are also found in flax seeds, soya products and walnuts.

Going low on carbohydrates and avoiding sugar is usually recommended for patients suffering from diabetes. Yet, it is important to have your fill of essential fats as mentioned above with the help of dairy products, clarified better, omega three fatty acids, dry fruits, soya products and some amount of vegetable oils, as these actually have a number of benefits for these patients.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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Exercising before breakfast burns twice more fat than after

People can have better control over their blood sugar levels by changing the timing of when they eat and exercise, according to a study which may help plan lifestyle interventions to counter diabetes and reduce body weight.

The researchers, said that people who performed exercise before breakfast burned double the amount of fat than those who exercised after the morning meal. 
 

The results of the study, revealed that performing exercise in the overnight-fasted state could increase the health benefits of exercise for individuals, without changing the intensity, duration, or perception of their effort.

 

The researchers conducted a six-week study involving thirty male participants classified either as obese or overweight, and compared the results from two groups—those who ate breakfast before exercise, and those who ate after.

The study also involved a control group of participants who made no lifestyle changes, the researchers said. 

The increased fat use is due to lower insulin levels during exercise
 when people have fasted overnight, indicating that they can use
more of the fat from their fat tissue and the fat within their muscles
 as a fuel, the researchers said.

While the six-week study did not lead to any significant weight
loss in the participants, the researchers added that it did have
“profound and positive” effects on their health since their bodies
were better able  to respond to insulin, keeping blood sugar levels
under control, and potentially lowering the risk of  diabetes and
heart disease.

“Our results suggest that changing the timing of when you eat in
relation to when you exercise can bring about profound and positive
 changes to your overall health,” said co-author of the study

Gonzalez said that the group who exercised before breakfast
increased their ability to respond to insulin, which he added was
more significant as both exercise groups lost similar amount of
weight, and gained similar fitness levels.

“The only difference was the timing of the food intake,” he said.

According to the researchers, the muscles from those who exercised
before breakfast showed more  increase in key proteins, specifically
those involved in transporting glucose from the bloodstream
to the muscles.

However, the researchers noted that the short-term study involved
only men, and they look to explore the longer-term effects of this
type of exercise, and whether women benefit in the same way as men.

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