Fasting ⇒ Hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and diabetes 2: silent killers that make you fat and sick

[daviddean]

Hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and diabetes 2: silent killers that make you fat and sick

An excessive stimulation of insulin, caused not only by excessive consumption of carbohydrates (high glycemic index species), but also by frequent meals and snacks, as unfortunately happens in modern societies, has the negative consequence not only of obesity, but also of metabolic diseases that strongly undermine health. First of all the so-called "insulin resistance". In a 22-year long study, a correlation was found between an excess state of plasma insulin and an increase in mortality from both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes. [Plasma insulin and all-cause, cardiovascular, and non cardiovascular mortality: the 22-year follow-up results of the Helsinki Policemen Study. Pyörälä M1, Miettinen H, Laakso M, Pyörälä K - Diabetes Care. 2000 Aug;23(8):1097-102.]

The human body has an extraordinary ability to adapt to the stimuli that allowed it to resist and evolve over millions of years of evolution. When the body is subjected to a series of exogenous or endogenous stimuli, it develops a capacity over time to "adaptat", progressively lowering its response to the stimulus itself, thus generating a real "resistance". This phenomenon can be observed for example with the consumption of alcohol, drugs and medicines: by taking these substances, over time, the body generates a real "defense", lowering its levels of biochemical and physiological response. In the case of a high-carbohydrate diet with frequent meals (like the one considered "healthy" by medical authorities until recently), the constant stimulation of glucose and insulin leads the body to develop a "tolerance", and it’s decreasing effectiveness in lowering blood glucose levels. This phenomenon is called "insulin resistance" and is the main cause of the development of type 2 diabetes, also known as "dietary". The current medical procedures for this type of diabetes provide exogenous (injectable) insulin in order to lower critical blood sugar levels, and this only makes it worse, making the body even more resistant to it. Basically, you are trying to put out the fire by adding fuel to it, when all you have to do is make sure that the body, based on its innate adaptability, develops a greater "tolerance and sensitivity" to insulin. Such results can be achieved by removing the causes of excessive insulin stimulation from the body, that is by following a diet with a minimal impact on blood sugar. Among the best and current dietary strategies are the ketogenic diets with a high level of healthy fats, an adequate protein intake and a low intake of "complex" carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. The other strategy used to optimize the insulin response and, in some cases, to reverse Type 2 Diabetes is that of providing the body with as little insulin stimuli as possible: Fasting. Fortunately, scientific research is increasingly carrying out this effective way of prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance and diabetes.

More and more doctors are becoming sensitive in prescribing a Low carb/Ketogenic diet and fasting, even on a recurring and intermittent basis, instead of insulin. The human body possesses extraordinary qualities in terms of self-healing if given the right physiological and biochemical stimuli, and fasting is certainly one of them. It is important to highlight that the insulin response is different based not only on the type of macronutrient (carbohydrates, proteins and fats), as we can see in the following diagram, but also on other factors linked to the glycemic index of carbohydrates (absorption rate) and their glycemic load (which is a parameter that defines the impact of a carbohydrate meal on blood sugar based on its glycemic index (GI) and the quantity of carbohydrates it contains.

The risk of a high plasma insulin level is a strong wake-up call for the public health, since as it is not limited to people with diabetes, but also to non-diabetics of both sexes. In a study that has performed a meta-analysis comparing the data of 11 European scientific studies, has come to the conclusion that there is a "statistically significant" correlation between the level of insulin measured when fasting and the level of mortality due to cardiovascular causes. This correlation was found in both non-diabetic individuals, both male and female, being independent of both the level of plasma glucose and from other cardiovascular risk factors [Plasma insulin and cardiovascular mortality in non-diabetic. - European men and women: a meta-analysis of data from eleven prospective studies - The DECODE Insulin Study Group - Diabetologia (2004) 47:1245–1256]

With these data in hand a large-scale awareness propaganda would be necessary on the dangers of a hyperglucidic diet and from eating too much, like happens in the most "civilized" countries, where false food information are spread, like "eating 5 meals a day" and where there are commercials like "the brain needs sugar "(1986) or "sugar is full of life" (1985); even if these commercials are not recent (especially thanks to the new knowledge on the subject), imagine what damage they have caused over time to people who have considered such a message valid and "healthy".

Unfortunately on the subject of nutrition there is great ignorance, and this penalizes those people who, unaware, don’t notice the dangers of certain foods and consumption habits, until they are banned, but only at the expenses of millions of diseases and deaths, unaware of the dangers of the various substances, which were initially considered "safe and harmless". For example, see the damage done by tobacco, asbestos and many other substances. Before becoming a victim of a system that has no interest in disease prevention, it is necessary to gather information from multiple sources (even "unofficial" ones) and get an idea about a topic, for yourself.
Only now the benefits of fasting, in particular the "intermittent" type, are coming to the fore thanks to the great benefits it can provide, and at ZERO cost. In this regard, see the study by Sutton et al. [Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes. - Sutton EF1, Beyl R1, Early KS2 eat al. - Cell Metab. 2018 Jun 5; 27 (6): 1212-1221.e3] in which the benefits of intermittent fasting on cardio-metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, β cell response, blood pressure, oxidative stress and on the appetite were demonstrated.

For sure, intermittent fasting is a non-patentable and non-salable practice, therefore not lucrative like food and drugs are. The 80/20 Pareto Diet was written to provide everyone with greater information and awareness on the dangers of hyperglucidic nutrition (with too much carbohydrates) and to spread the undisputed benefits on intermittent fasting ever more confirmed by scientific research.
Information is not only power, but also health and, perhaps, longevity.

From the book: The 80/20 Pareto Diet: The Magical Power of Intermittent Fasting for a slim body and a smart mind
https://amzn.to/31UuPdH

[toriamac]

I'm older...will be 70 in a few weeks.
Everyone I know who is my age is diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Luckily, my blood tests still come back with blood glucose of 85 and A1C of 4.9.
I attribute it to my lifestyle being so different from them.
They seem to be constantly eating.
Some of them even get anxiety attacks when they get hungry.

I seem to naturally do "intermittent fasting" as part of my routine.
My body doesn’t want food until I've been up for at least 2-3 hours.
And I usually take in all my food in an 8 hour period.
That means I'm fasting 16 hours per day.
It seems to be what my body prefers.

I do take Niagen and NMN first thing on an empty stomach with water.
And I take a bunch of vitamins later in the day with food.

I don’t eat pizza or meat, as I've never liked them.
I gave up wheat 30 years ago.
And foods that are breaded and fried have never agreed with my stomach.
I don’t like coffee or alcohol, either.
And I haven’t had a soda for 8.5 years.
I used to like Coca Cola, but gave it up when it started hurting my stomach.

My diabetic friends prefer highly refined foods, carbs especially.
Lots of meat and starch — bread, Irish potatoes, processed cereals, pasta, etc.
I get plenty of protein from beans, organic brown rice, nuts, seeds, eggs, yogurt and kefir.
I like most veggies and many fruits.