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You Plough What Causes Insulin Resistance? Business Office V

Previously inwards this series, we've discussed the role of cellular release energy excess, inflammation, encephalon insulin resistance, as well as micronutrient condition inwards insulin resistance.  In this post, I'll explore the role of macronutrients as well as refined saccharify inwards insulin sensitivity.

Carbohydrate as well as Fat

There are a number of studies on the resultant of carbohydrate:fat ratios on insulin sensitivity, but many of them are confounded past times fatty loss (e.g., low-carbohydrate as well as low-fat weight loss studies), which almost invariably improves insulin sensitivity.  What interests me the most is to empathise what resultant dissimilar carbohydrate:fat ratios own got on insulin sensitivity inwards healthy, weight stable people.  This volition larn at what causes insulin resistance inwards individual who does non already own got it.

The start written report to address this inquiry was published inwards 1935 past times physician H.P. Himsworth (Himsworth HP. Clin Sci 2:67. 1935).  He flora that insulin sensitivity was increased past times feeding a high-carbohydrate diet as well as decreased past times feeding a low-carbohydrate diet, but these effects were exclusively observed at rattling high (70-80%) as well as rattling depression (less than 10%) saccharide intakes, respectively.

Studies since so own got been somewhat equivocal, amongst unopen to showing higher insulin sensitivity on high-carbohydrate diets (1, 2), as well as others unable to replicate the finding (3).  One potential explanation is that the divergence inwards carbohydrate:fat ratios was non sufficient to come across a divergence inwards the studies that did non confirm the effect.  As per physician Himsworth's finding, reduced insulin sensitivity seems to take away a rattling depression saccharide intake.  Qualitative differences betwixt the fatty as well as saccharide sources may too own got played a role-- unrefined carbohydrates amend insulin sensitivity to a greater extent than than refined carbohydrates.

Although rattling low-carbohydrate diets tin cut down insulin sensitivity (and this squares amongst the pitiable glucose tolerance of many people who own got followed rattling low-carbohydrate diets long-term), I intend it is fair to inquire whether this is harmful or precisely adaptive (pathological vs. physiological).  When glucose is scarce inwards the diet, the trunk initiates a metabolic computer program to spare glucose for the brain, which is to a greater extent than theme on glucose than other organs.  Since insulin signals tissues to increment glucose uptake, it is logical to intend that insulin resistance mightiness survive a agency of reducing glucose usage past times peripheral tissues so that the encephalon gets a larger share.  It's non clear whether or non this type of adaptive machinery tin fully concern human relationship for the insulin resistance on such diets.  In rodents, insulin resistance on purified high-fat diets speedily becomes pathological (i.e. it is clearly non an adaptive reply because it leads to wellness problems), but I intend nosotros own got to survive cautious close extrapolating that finding to humans eating a mixed diet.  I would telephone phone this inquiry unresolved. 

Much has been made of the glycemic index (speed of absorption) of saccharide every bit a determinant of insulin sensitivity, but a comprehensive review of controlled trials reveals that the glycemic index of saccharide mostly has no measurable touching on on insulin sensitivity (4). 

I intend a unproblematic regulation that tin explicate these findings is that a good for you lot trunk increases insulin sensitivity inwards reply to increased need for glucose disposal.  In other words, the to a greater extent than saccharide inwards the diet, the to a greater extent than the trunk increases insulin sensitivity to appropriately metabolize it. This is specially apparent at the extremes of saccharide intake. 

Sugar as well as Fructose

For the purposes of this discussion, I'm defining refined saccharify every bit sucrose (table sugar, cane sugar), its unopen cousin high-fructose corn syrup, as well as natural sugars derived from fruit as well as honey.  When referring to fructose as well as glucose, I'll refer to them specifically.  Starch is made upward of long chains of glucose that are released upon digestion.  Sucrose is composed of 50% glucose, as well as 50% fructose, linked together.  The degree of high-fructose corn syrup that is typically used inwards soft drinks is roughly 55% fructose as well as 42% glucose, as well as the degree that is used inwards most other foods is roughly 42% fructose as well as 53% glucose.

Sugar consumption per se has non been consistently linked to insulin resistance or diabetes gamble inwards observational studies (update 1/20/12: fructose intake has just been associated amongst insulin resistance inwards adolescents.  The association seems to survive mediated past times increased visceral fat).  Most of the enquiry on insulin resistance has focused on the role of fructose, because at that spot is non much evidence that glucose or starch themselves are involved.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of studies own got investigated the role of fructose consumption inwards insulin sensitivity.  Fructose or sucrose feeding consistently causes insulin resistance inwards rodents, but the resultant requires unnaturally large amounts if given inwards the context of a low-fat diet (5, 6). 

In humans, high-dose refined fructose feeding tin crusade insulin resistance inwards every bit piddling every bit a calendar week (7), silent this requires an amount of fructose that far exceeds what tin survive obtained inwards a normal diet.  Somewhat lower, but silent rattling high ( 100 g/d) fructose intakes create non atomic number 82 to insulin resistance inwards healthy, thin adults when fed for 4 weeks (8).  I intend it is notable that inwards physician Lynda Frassetto's Paleo diet study, the diet was fairly high inwards refined saccharify from fruit, fruit juice as well as carrot juice, yet participants experienced impressive improvements inwards insulin sensitivity (9).  This shows that naturally sourced sugars from fruit as well as vegetables are compatible amongst high insulin sensitivity inwards the context of a good for you lot diet.  As unopen to other example, the inhabitants of the isle of Kitava swallow a diet rich inwards fruit as well as therefore unrefined sugar, yet inwards the context of a traditional diet as well as lifestyle, they create non prepare insulin resistance (10). 

However, inwards overweight as well as obese people, a high intake of refined fructose tin exacerbate insulin resistance.  physician Peter Havel showed this inwards a thorough written report inwards 2009 (11).  After 10 weeks of drinking fructose- or glucose-sweetened beverages for 25% of calories, both groups gained the same amount of trunk fatty ( 3%), yet the fructose grouping gained it disproportionately inwards the abdominal (belly) region, as well as too showed a decrease inwards insulin sensitivity of 17%.  Another interesting written report showed that a rattling high fructose intake (200 g/d) caused insulin resistance as well as increased blood pressure level inwards overweight as well as obese volunteers, as well as that these effects were partially blocked past times allopurinol, a drug that lowers circulating uric acid (12).  This supports the hypothesis that fructose exerts unopen to of its effects past times increasing uric acid, but it seems to accept a lot of fructose to significantly increment plasma uric acid levels.

In unopen to other interesting study, physician Judith Hallfrisch as well as colleagues fed insulin resistant as well as normal men diets containing 0%, 7.5% as well as 15% fructose for five weeks (13).  None of the diets influenced fasting insulin, but the 15% diet increased the insulin reply to a sucrose drink.  There was no glucose command group, so nosotros don't know if the same reply would own got been observed amongst glucose or other sugars.  The bird of sweetness of the dissimilar diets was non matched.

In a to a greater extent than realistic study, physician Maria Maersk as well as colleagues showed that adding ane liter (equivalent to 2.75 12 oz cans; 106 g/d of refined saccharify or 53 g/d of fructose) of cola to the habitual diet for half dozen months resulted inwards an increment inwards liver as well as visceral fat, but no alter inwards fasting insulin or estimated insulin sensitivity inwards overweight volunteers, relative to the same book of water, milk or diet cola (14).  There was no pregnant resultant on trunk fatness, although at that spot was a tendency toward an increment inwards the soda group.  I suspect that if these trends continued, insulin resistance would own got developed eventually, but that may precisely own got been secondary to increased fatty mass. In whatever case, regardless of its effects on insulin sensitivity, this written report supports the thought that sweetened soda is non healthy! 

Overall, these studies demonstrate that rattling high fructose intakes tin worsen insulin resistance inwards people who deport excess fat, but they create non offering strong back upward to the thought that normal intakes of fructose crusade insulin resistance inwards those who are thin (particularly when the refined saccharify comes from natural sources).  It is possible that insulin resistance would prepare over a longer menses of refined refined saccharify consumption, specially if visceral as well as liver fatty continued to accumulate, but this has non been demonstrated to my knowledge.  Although unopen to dubiety remains, the evidence I've seen does non convince me that refined saccharify intake inside the typical hit causes insulin resistance through an inherent metabolic resultant of fructose, as well as I own got seen goose egg that suggests nosotros should avoid eating whole fresh fruit.  However, since added refined saccharify increases the release energy density as well as palatability/reward value of food, it tin contribute to insulin resistance indirectly via increased nutrient intake as well as trunk fatness inwards susceptible people.  To survive clear, I silent intend refined refined saccharify is unhealthy as well as should survive largely avoided.  In a hereafter post, I'll explore the resultant of refined saccharify on trunk fatness inwards to a greater extent than detail.