Insulin

The evolutionary task of insulin is to store excess nutritional energy. This system was used by our ancestors to save energy in times of abundance in order to survive in times of hunger.

We have several hormones that raise blood sugar levels, such as cortisone, human growth hormone (STH), epinephrine and glucagon. There is, however, just one hormone that lowers blood sugar levels and this is insulin.

When blood sugar levels rise, this is a clear signal that we have consumed more energy than we need. Sugar which is not burned has to be stored using insulin. We store this energy as glycogen. The preferred places for the body to store this is in the liver and muscles. When these stores are full, insulin causes the carbohydrates to be stored as fat.

Low-fat, carbohydrate-rich diets result in increased fat storage. These diets do not make sense. Fat is not fattening, carbohydrates are fattening.  

Carbohydrates cause the pancreas to release insulin. The body’s cells, which are surrounded by insulin, inevitably react to this process with a resistance to insulin. If this process occurs to an increasing extent with regularity, the insulin resistance of the cells becomes long term. The body’s cells become insulin resistant in order to protect themselves from the toxic effects of high insulin levels. They reduce the number of insulin receptors and thus their sensitivity to insulin. This process is one of the reasons why LDL cholesterol levels increase as a protective factor of the cells.

The liver is the first part of the body to develop this resistance, followed by the muscle tissue and then fat tissues. Some cells can only develop very little insulin resistance.

When insulin resistance increases for a prolonged period of time or when insulin production begins to fall, blood sugar levels rise. This is the beginning of Type 2 Diabetes.

Insulin resistance over time can have fatal consequences. Here are some examples:

Vitamin C and glucose have similar chemical structures. When blood sugar levels rise, both start to compete to be absorbed by the cells. Since the absorption mechanism for vitamin C and glucose are identical, less vitamin C is absorbed by the cells. The result is a weakening of the immune system. In particular, during periods of illness, an abundance of carbohydrates should be avoided in order to keep the immune system strong.. A glass of orange juice is bad news for the immune system – the fructose blocks absorption of vitamin C and puts strain on the adrenal glands.

Magnesium is stored by insulin. During long-term insulin resistance, the cells cannot absorb magnesium and it is released from the body when passing water. The result is  intracellular magnesium deficiency, which often leads to increased blood pressure. Magnesium is important for the effectiveness of insulin. A reduction of magnesium in the cells strengthens insulin resistance. In the case of insulin resistance the supplementation of magnesium will be ineffective.

Calcium is also stored by insulin. Insulin resistance leads to an intracellular deficiency as with magnesium. Prescription medicines containing calcium to treat osteoporosis should be replaced with silicon and a low-carbohydrate diet.

Insulin also influences the storage of sodium. This process results in increased water retention which can result in oedema and/or increased blood pressure.

One of the strongest stimulants for the sympathetic nervous system is a high level of insulin. In this state, the body is subjected to extreme stress. The increase in blood pressure and stress places increased strain on the heart.

Insulin regulates cholesterol levels. There is a direct connection between the level of cholesterol and the level of insulin. An increase in LDL cholesterol should always be taken seriously as this is a sign of intoxication of the cell interstice. Conventional medicine prescribes lipid lowering medication in such cases. This is big business for the pharmaceutical industry with very little or even negative effects for the patient.

A high level of insulin prevents fat reduction. This is because insulin has an adverse effect on fat reducing glucagon. Up to the point that fat cells become insulin resistant, body weight inevitably increases in direct correlation to the increase in insulin resistance. For many people with diabetes, whether they have to take insulin or are dependent upon tablets, an important step is to reduce their insulin requirements through nutrition.

Insulin also causes blood clotting. It stimulates the macrophages to absorb oxidized LDL cholesterol. This leads to the creation of foam cells which seal the inner walls of our arteries. This results in arteriosclerosis. By stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, increased platelet aggregation occurs and increased blood clotting. Insulin decreases NO gas synthesis in the endothelium cells. Since this gas is important for the dilatation of blood vessels, a reduction of NO gas leads to constricted blood vessels and thus to high blood pressure. Therefore the foundations for cardiovascular disease and a heart attack have been laid.

There are many cases of medical literature which describe the blocking effect of insulin on the thyroid gland. The conversion of T4 into T3 hormone (active in metabolism) is reduced by insulin. This initially results in a latent and later in a significantly low functionality of the thyroid gland. Many laboratories still use old standard values for TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) of 0.3 – 4.5.  For the last 3 years, these values have changed to 0.3 – 2.6. These new values are correct and result in the identification of a low functioning thyroid. We assume that all values above 2.0 already show latent thyroid dysfunction. If the selenium level is increased and insulin resistance corrected, thyroid values also return to normal. Since the thyroid gland is the motor for metabolism, this organ also plays a significant role in weight reduction.

An increasingly well-known fact is that insulin affects all hormone production. High levels of insulin resistance will also result in low levels of DHEA. The sex hormones, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone are strongly coupled to proteins and thus lose their effectiveness. In our daily work at the practice, we have noticed that through healthy & active, patients start to rediscover their sex drive and enjoy their sexuality; menstruation problems disappear and menopause problems are reduced or cease completely. Many patients report that after just a few days of the metabolic program they can sleep better. This can be explained by the improved effectiveness of melatonin, our sleep hormone. Even the hypothalamus has insulin receptors which become resistant over time. Its resistance to feedback signals is one of the key causes of the ageing process.

Insulin accelerates the rate of cell division and cell growth. This also speeds up the ageing process and, unfortunately, also the growth of cancer.

When saccharides are coupled with proteins it results in a sticky material. The medical term for this is glycosylation. Proteins, which are not broken down by rapid metabolism, such as nerve tissue, collagen or proteins, show strong glycosylation. This leads to rheumatic illnesses and tissue damage. High-carbohydrate diets are particularly contraindicated for rheumatic patients.

What can you do to lower the amount of insulin required and increase insulin receptiveness?

The most important prerequisite is the change to low-insulin nutrition. The healthy & active metabolism program is particularly well suited for this because it ascertains the nutritional needs of an individual’s metabolism. The healthy & active metabolism program provides you with a list of suitable foods to optimize your individual metabolism.

Depending on each individual’s metabolic process, we recommend supporting the liver’s metabolism with the consumption of appropriate dietary supplements. Foods and / or dietary supplements with sufficient omega-3 fatty acids are important here.

Note:

The interrelationships mentioned above have been derived from Naturopath Lothar Ursinus’ 20 years of naturopathic practice experience, medical literature and from the article “Insulin and its metabolic effects” by Dr. Ron Rosedale M.D.