Insulin resistance is a condition in which your cells no longer respond properly to the signals that insulin transmits to them. Insulin is the main hormone to remove glucose, or blood sugar, from the bloodstream. When insulin resistance occurs, the blood-sugar level rises significantly, which can have detrimental effects on the kidneys and nervous system. Avoiding dietary sugar in the diet provides some relief from insulin resistance, as this reduces blood-sugar spikes. Other dietary restrictions can provide further relief.
Insulin Resistance
Obesity can lead to insulin resistance, but how it does so remains unknown. Fluctuating blood-sugar levels may be a culprit. When you eat, carbohydrates in your blood quickly convert into glucose. When glucose enters the bloodstream, the pancreas secretes insulin into the blood. Insulin removes blood sugar from the blood, and the body tells the brain that it is time to eat. If you eat more carbohydrates, the cycle repeats itself. Over time, these fluctuations in blood sugar may make cells resistant to insulin.
Sugar as a Culprit
Sugar is found not only in candy and soft drinks but in many main-course foods, such as sweet potato dishes and caramelized onions. Sugar is the carbohydrate that breaks down most quickly in the digestive tract. Eating a few pieces of candy on an empty stomach triggers a significant spike in blood sugar. When insulin functions properly, it quickly removes the glucose from the bloodstream, which could prompt you to eat more candy. Because sugar breaks down so quickly in the digestive system, it is almost guaranteed to lead to fluctuations in insulin; thus, sugar seems to be the main culprit in insulin resistance.
Processed Carbohydrates
If you are insulin-resistant, cutting sugar from your diet will improve your condition by preventing the most rapid changes in your glucose levels. Beware of other carbohydrates that can create drastic changes in blood-sugar levels. White sandwich bread, white rice, pasta, burger buns and pizza crust are not as bad as pure sugar, but they still have a relatively quick conversion rate. Cutting these processed carbohydrates is an additional way to stabilize sugar and insulin levels and reverse the effects of insulin resistance.
Low Carbohydrates
Low-carbohydrate diets are perhaps the most promising way to treat insulin resistance by restricting carbohydrate intake to about 20 g per day--about one-fifth of the carbohydrates in an ordinary healthy diet. When only a low amount of carbohydrates convert into glucose, the spike effects on blood sugar will be minimal. Fat and protein do not convert into glucose directly. Protein and the glycerol component of fat can yield glucose in situations of need, but this is a slow process compared to the pace at which carbohydrates break down and enter the bloodstream. Low-carbohydrate diets may have the greatest potential for reversing insulin resistance.
