Insulin makes you fat? Not so fast

[Hans]

How frequently have you heard that insulin is fattening? Well, it can be, but context is required. Check it out:

Insulin makes you fat? Not so fast » TESTONATION

There is currently the carbohydrate-insulin hypothesis of obesity, which basically states that insulin, due to carb intake, makes you fat. There are two sides to this. Insulin secretion from carb consumption Total daily insulin levels Let’s look at the first one. Carbs make you fat due to...

men-elite.com

 

[aliml]

Glucagon is the key factor in the development of diabetes​

Glucagon plays important roles in normal glucose homeostasis and in metabolic abnormalities, particularly diabetes. Glucagon excess, rather than insulin deficiency, is essential for the development of diabetes for several reasons. Glucagon increases hepatic glucose and ketone production, the catabolic features of insulin deficiency. Hyperglucagonaemia is present in every form of diabetes. Beta cell destruction in glucagon receptor null mice does not cause diabetes unless mice are administered adenovirus encoding the glucagon receptor. In rodent studies the glucagon suppressors leptin and glucagon receptor antibody suppressed all catabolic manifestations of diabetes during insulin deficiency. Insulin prevents hyperglycaemia; however, insulin monotherapy cannot cure diabetes such that non-diabetic glucose homeostasis is achieved. Glucose-responsive beta cells normally regulate alpha cells, and diminished insulin action on alpha cells will favour hypersecretion of glucagon by the alpha cells, thus altering the insulin:glucagon ratio. Treating diabetes by suppression of glucagon, with leptin or antibody against the glucagon receptor, normalised glucose level (without glycaemic volatility) and HbA1c. Glucagon suppression also improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. If these results can be translated to humans, suppression of glucagon action will represent a step forward in the treatment of diabetes.

Glucagon is the key factor in the development of diabetes - Diabetologia

Glucagon plays important roles in normal glucose homeostasis and in metabolic abnormalities, particularly diabetes. Glucagon excess, rather than insulin deficiency, is essential for the development of diabetes for several reasons. Glucagon increases hepatic glucose and ketone production, the...

link.springer.com

The GLP-1 is a key regulator of glucagon secretion. Activation of the GLP-1 inhibits glucagon release from pancreas. Honey and fruits (fructose/glucose ratio above 1) which contains fructose/fructans that increase GLP-1 release.

What is GLP-1 & Does it Affect Weight & Cognition? - SelfHacked

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) lowers blood sugar and agonists are used as anti-diabetics. How does it affect wellness & can you increase it naturally?

selfhacked.com

 

[Kaur Singh]

Hi Hans!

Would you know what would qualify as high/low insulin levels after a meal?

and what do you suggest are the best things to do when presenting with:
inflammation
hypoglycemic episodes (in spite of eating fruits and no other carbs/starches)
obesity
hypothyroid per symptoms, TSH, temps and pulse
fasting blood glucose in range

I have tried the low dose B3 throughout the day, aspirin, B1
low doses of thyroid supp. Can't tolerate normal/higher doses

Still fat, still hypoglycemic, still hypothyroid etc.

Thank you -

 

[Hans]

Would you know what would qualify as high/low insulin levels after a meal?

You don't know unless you test. Getting hypoglycemia can be due to a variety of reasons.

and what do you suggest are the best things to do when presenting with:
inflammation
hypoglycemic episodes (in spite of eating fruits and no other carbs/starches)
obesity
hypothyroid per symptoms, TSH, temps and pulse
fasting blood glucose in range

I have tried the low dose B3 throughout the day, aspirin, B1
low doses of thyroid supp. Can't tolerate normal/higher doses

Still fat, still hypoglycemic, still hypothyroid etc.

Biotin is needed for gluconeogenesis and the management of blood sugar. Biotin (15mg daily) has been shown to have anti-diabetic effects (R) and also promote glycogen storage (R) which should help to keep blood sugar stable.

Are you eating enough protein and fat? Is your diet nutrient-dense?
Do you get hypoglycemia even if you don't eat carbs? Is it worse with fruit vs starches?

 

[Kaur Singh]

Recent AM testing, I had a glass of OJ and a glass of milk before the blood draw:
[lab ranges for fasting]

glucose 109 mg/dl [70...100]
insulin 49.1 mIU/L [0... 29]

When I have measured my BG at home, it didn't change at all during the whole day, stayed in the 90s. Before/after meals, before/after sleep, etc - except when it starts to go down. Sometimes stress hormones kick in and raise it back to the 90s, sometimes they don't and just plummet down quickly and can take all day of feeding constantly to recover.

I consume sufficient proteins and carbs, plenty of nutritious foods.
Lowered fat intake, given that I gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time
(this is part of my history, I either gain a lot of weight quickly or I loose it just as quickly, without intending to, and without changing either dietary or activity/exercise habits. hypoglycemic episodes can happen either when fat or when not fat).

Though I seldom eat starches now
(they tend to cause pain as they go through esophagus/stomach mouth)
historically, I was experiencing the hypoglycemia when I used to eat them too.

It gets markedly worse in hot weather.
and nocturnal episodes during sleep
or if I am upright for just a little bit in the heat, etc


I tried higher dose biotin - it made the hypoglycemia worse.
I ended up with very high levels of lysine in blood,
so something not working right there.
It resolved when I stopped taking it.
I do a minimal dose now.

hypoglycemic and obese - what is this?

Thank you

 

[76er]

Fruit, as opposed to sugar, is even less insulinogenic, since it contains minerals (e.g. potassium), fiber and polyphenols that help with the mobilization and utilization of glucose.

Is it just potassium that helps with glucose uptake or do the other minerals aid as well?

Thanks for another informative article!

 

[Kaur Singh]

@Hans
See above ^^
:)

 

[Hans]

Recent AM testing, I had a glass of OJ and a glass of milk before the blood draw:
[lab ranges for fasting]

glucose 109 mg/dl [70...100]
insulin 49.1 mIU/L [0... 29]

When I have measured my BG at home, it didn't change at all during the whole day, stayed in the 90s. Before/after meals, before/after sleep, etc - except when it starts to go down. Sometimes stress hormones kick in and raise it back to the 90s, sometimes they don't and just plummet down quickly and can take all day of feeding constantly to recover.

I consume sufficient proteins and carbs, plenty of nutritious foods.
Lowered fat intake, given that I gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time
(this is part of my history, I either gain a lot of weight quickly or I loose it just as quickly, without intending to, and without changing either dietary or activity/exercise habits. hypoglycemic episodes can happen either when fat or when not fat).

Though I seldom eat starches now
(they tend to cause pain as they go through esophagus/stomach mouth)
historically, I was experiencing the hypoglycemia when I used to eat them too.

It gets markedly worse in hot weather.
and nocturnal episodes during sleep
or if I am upright for just a little bit in the heat, etc


I tried higher dose biotin - it made the hypoglycemia worse.
I ended up with very high levels of lysine in blood,
so something not working right there.
It resolved when I stopped taking it.
I do a minimal dose now.

hypoglycemic and obese - what is this?

Thank you

How low does your BG drop when you get hypo?
How frequently do you consume food? To prevent these frequent hypoglycemic episodes, maybe you can drink 1 cup of milk every 30min. That's what they did on the milk cure diet and it worked very well. You'll also get a lot of nutrients that way.

 

[Kaur Singh]

When I have been able to measure - 50 mg/dL
I assume it goes lower,
because I can't even get to measuring it
sometimes I've had to be fed as I was flat out on the floor.

I figured out that adding a couple mcg of T3 to the juice/milk
it keeps it from dropping and I recover much faster
within 30-60 minutes vs taking all day + lots lots of feeding

what about this blood glucose that stays the same all day?
have you heard/read/encountered this?

 

[Kaur Singh]

How low does your BG drop when you get hypo?
How frequently do you consume food? To prevent these frequent hypoglycemic episodes, maybe you can drink 1 cup of milk every 30min. That's what they did on the milk cure diet and it worked very well. You'll also get a lot of nutrients that way.

When I have been able to measure - 50 mg/dL
I assume it goes lower,
because I can't even get to measuring it
sometimes I've had to be fed as I was flat out on the floor.

I figured out that adding a couple mcg of T3 to the juice/milk
it keeps it from dropping further and I recover much faster
within 30-60 minutes vs taking all day + lots lots of feeding

what about this blood glucose that stays the same all day?
have you heard/read/encountered this?

where is all the sugars I am eating going if blood glucose is staying constant?
and has not been detected in urine
and I get these episodic drops - I'm assuming it is not going into cells as it should either.

my metabolic rate is obviously low

danke!

 

[PolishSun]

i read that body weight depends on insulin levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which surrounds brain and spinal cord. Just need to find in which book I read that.

 

[Hans]

When I have been able to measure - 50 mg/dL
I assume it goes lower,
because I can't even get to measuring it
sometimes I've had to be fed as I was flat out on the floor.

I figured out that adding a couple mcg of T3 to the juice/milk
it keeps it from dropping further and I recover much faster
within 30-60 minutes vs taking all day + lots lots of feeding

what about this blood glucose that stays the same all day?
have you heard/read/encountered this?

where is all the sugars I am eating going if blood glucose is staying constant?
and has not been detected in urine
and I get these episodic drops - I'm assuming it is not going into cells as it should either.

my metabolic rate is obviously low

danke!

If it's not coming out in the urine, it's most likely taken up by your cells. Have you checked your trigs and VLDL? Maybe even pyruvate to lactate ratio.

 

[Kaur Singh]

If it's not coming out in the urine, it's most likely taken up by your cells. Have you checked your trigs and VLDL? Maybe even pyruvate to lactate ratio.

which then... why the drops?
and the crazy-fast weight gain?
[ over 20 kilos in just a few months, without intending to ]

cholesterols - all of them - trended low for the last decade (as far as records go)
the last one a few months ago came up into low normal

I do benefit from increasing-CO2 measures
It's easy for me to go into the I don't feel I have air to breathe,
with minimal activity, talking too fast/too much, etc

I take B1 and aspirin and B3, low doses through out the day
I can't seem to tolerate high doses of B1.
B3 - yes.

 

[Hans]

which then... why the drops?
and the crazy-fast weight gain?
[ over 20 kilos in just a few months, without intending to ]

cholesterols - all of them - trended low for the last decade (as far as records go)
the last one a few months ago came up into low normal

I do benefit from increasing-CO2 measures
It's easy for me to go into the I don't feel I have air to breathe,
with minimal activity, talking too fast/too much, etc

I take B1 and aspirin and B3, low doses through out the day
I can't seem to tolerate high doses of B1.
B3 - yes.

Stress hormones burn up glucose quickly through glycolysis. One of the functions of stress hormones is to utilize fuel to fight stress. This can cause issues. Chronic hypoglycemic episodes can lead to a condition where stress hormones aren't increased quickly enough to bring blood sugar back up. This is more common amongst type 1 diabetics. Excess insulin can also cause hypoglycemia, perhaps because it's not cleared fast enough, so it builds up. Have you checked your c-peptide?

The hypoglycemia is actually what leads to rapid weight gain, because it promotes the release of cortisol, which promotes fat synthesis and storage.

 

[Kaur Singh]

I'll see if I can get C-peptide tested.

Recent AM testing, I had a glass of OJ and a glass of milk before the blood draw [lab ranges for fasting]:
glucose 109 mg/dl [70...100]
insulin 49.1 mIU/L [0... 29]

does this indicate anything?

 

[Hans]

I'll see if I can get C-peptide tested.

Recent AM testing, I had a glass of OJ and a glass of milk before the blood draw [lab ranges for fasting]:
glucose 109 mg/dl [70...100]
insulin 49.1 mIU/L [0... 29]

does this indicate anything?

You might get different insulin responses from different foods. So perhaps find one that doesn't make you hypoglycemic. Perhaps try only milk.

 

[Kaur Singh]

@Hans

Thank you