The Link Between Insulin Resistance And Aging
Insulin resistance is estimated to affect at least one-third of the American population. It is also referred to as metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is basically a collection of risk factors known to lead to heart disease, stroke and diabetes as well as other chronic non-communicable diseases like arthritis or dementia. This syndrome is also called syndrome X, dysmetabolic syndrome and, of course, insulin resistance syndrome. Obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type-2 diabetes are all problems one may have if they are insulin resistant.
WHAT IS INSULIN RESISTANCE
Insulin resistance is when the cells in your muscles, fat, and liver do not respond well to insulin. This results in higher blood glucose levels due to the inability to absorb and process glucose into usable energy. Insulin is nothing more than another hormone. But, this hormone is vital for the metabolic health of each cell in the body.
You could be resistant to insulin but still feel healthy. The only way to know if you are insulin resistant is to check your blood sugar levels, or your fasting insulin levels.
Being insulin resistant does not mean you are diabetic. When fasting plasma glucose levels reach 100-125 a physician will diagnose you with prediabetes. Once these levels reach 126+, a physician will diagnose you with type-2 diabetes. Of course, bear in mind that these cut-off levels are based on mostly data from Americans. What might be called ‘normal’ here might be terribly unhealthy in a blue zone or in an area with long-lived peoples. If you are insulin-resistant, then you must produce very high levels of the hormone to achieve the same levels of glucose balance. Once you can’t do that anymore, then you become ‘diabetic’.
HOW INSULIN RESISTANCE ACCELERATES AGING
An increased prevalence of insulin resistance has been observed in older adults. As resistance to insulin increases there is an increased chance of developing certain metabolic conditions also referred to as ‘age-related’ conditions.
One study looked at insulin levels in 3 different groups: 40 healthy individuals with no family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) age 65 ± 4.8 years, 30 healthy young individuals with no family history of DM, and 40 subjects diagnosed with DM. This study found that insulin levels in the older group were higher than in the young control group but still lower than in the DM control group.
One theory behind this occurrence is due to the fact that the insulin signaling pathways encompass many regulatory functions beyond the glucose to energy production process. In those that are insulin resistant, the insulin levels increase dramatically as the pancreas overcompensates for the lack of glucose conversion. Higher overall insulin levels result in activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways (MAPK). MAPK is not affected by insulin resistance and stimulates cellular migration, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, and a prothrombotic state. Thus, the compensatory hyperinsulinemia can progressively shift the balance of insulin signaling toward a mitogenic state leading to accelerated atherosclerosis.
INCREASE INSULIN SENSITIVITY TO REDUCE AGING SIGNS
DNA Repair
Since insulin resistance has been linked to aging, it is thought that by increasing insulin sensitivity the signs and symptoms of aging can be reduced and/or reversed. You can naturally increase your insulin sensitivity by getting more sleep, exercising more, reducing stress, losing weight, eating more fiber, eating a healthier diet, eating fewer carbs, and reducing sugar intake. You can also increase insulin sensitivity by adding certain supplements to your wellness routine.
Insulin Sensitivty
The best option for increasing insulin sensitivity would be Berberine. Berberine mimics the diabetic drug Metformin. Berberine activates adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase, or AMPK. This is the master regulator of bioenergetics. Without AMPK, the mitochondria do not function well. At the heart of insulin sensitivity failures are poorly functioning mitochondria. Therefore, addressing that is to address insulin resistance
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Meredith Warner is the creator of Well Theory and The Healing Sole. She is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Air Force Veteran.
She is on a mission to disrupt traditional medicine practices and promote betterment physically, spiritually and mentally to many more people. She advocates for wellness and functional health over big pharma so more people can age vibrantly with more function and less pain.
At Well Theory, Our surgeon-designed products are FDA Registered and formulated to help people:
- Manage the symptoms of musculoskeletal pain
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