Insulin resistance may be caused in part by genetics, but your diet and lifestyle choices directly impact how well your body uses insulin. Exercise, weight loss and dietary changes that include limiting carbohydrates and increasing protein and fat...
You may associate the word insulin with a cure for diabetes. Perhaps the word elicits images of needles and painful injections? As it turns out, insulin is a hormone that plays a powerful role in the body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates,...
The American Heart Association does not recommend high-protein diets. High-protein diets, such as Atkins, Protein Power and Stillman diets, highly restrict essential nutrients your body needs by being focused on protein intake. High dietary...
Losing weight is the best way to reverse insulin resistance and prevent Type 2 diabetes, according to Dr. Mark Hyman, author of "Ultra-Prevention" and former medical director of Canyon Ranch. Dietary changes such as eliminating sugar and simple...
The hormone insulin is needed to transport glucose from food into the body's cells, where it is converted to usable energy. When the body becomes less sensitive to this hormone, insulin resistance occurs. This can result in increased levels of...
Insulin is normally produced by the body. It is released by the pancreas in response to a meal to signal cells to take up the sugar glucose for energy or storage. In diabetes mellitus, either the body stops producing insulin, or the cells stop...
Diabetes is a condition characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood. Type I diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, requires injectable insulin; Type II diabetes might be controlled with either oral or injectable medication. There are a...
Insulin is a medication that is often used to treat diabetes because it either replaces or supplements the insulin that diabetics struggle to produce. Because insulin is a protein, it cannot be consumed orally and must be injected so that it can...
One of the major nutrients in the body, protein is second only to water in the body's composition components. Muscle is made of protein, but each living cell in the body also contains protein to some extent.
Fat and protein can both be converted into glucose if necessary through a process called gluconeogenesis. The use of proteins or fat for gluconeogenesis requires more energy than the more straightforward metabolism of starches and sugar into glucose.
Insulin, a protein hormone secreted by the pancreas, promotes the entry of glucose into tissues as the body's primary energy source. Insulin encourages the liver to store glucose as glycogen, a form of starch. The result of insulin production...
As the incidence of diabetes rises in developed countries, more people are growing concerned about their blood glucose levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that 1 in every 3 Americans could have diabetes by 2050. If you...
Diabetes mellitus (commonly known as just diabetes) is a condition in which the levels of glucose in the blood are abnormally high. This is a result of insufficient insulin production. Insulin is a protein hormone that is made by the pancreas. Its...
Recombinant DNA comprises DNA molecules from one or more sources that are combined to produce a new protein. This new recombinant protein may function as a substitute for human proteins that are difficult to isolate in large quantities, explains...
Restriction enzymes are functional proteins found in bacteria. Enzymes help speed up chemical reactions, and living organisms use enzymes for a variety of purposes. Specifically, bacteria use restriction enzymes to cut DNA at specific sites. This...
Glucose and insulin are two chemicals found in the body. Glucose is an energy source for the body, and generally the main energy source. Insulin is a hormone, meaning a chemical that is released into the blood to make changes in other parts of the...
Diabetes is a disorder in which sugar levels in the blood become abnormally high due to a hormone called insulin, which is made by the pancreas. Insulin works to cause fat, muscle and liver tissue to pull sugar out of the blood. Patients with Type...
Diabetes mellitus is a disease that results in the accumulation of glucose sugars within the vascular system. There are three basic types of diabetes and are classified as Type I, Type II and gestational. Type I diabetes, which is typically...
Eating right and performing weight training are two parts of the equation for promoting muscle gain. A third, and equally important, part is consuming specific supplements that have been backed by science as effective muscle builders. These...
Hormones are molecules that change how cells and the body function. Food intake and metabolism are controlled by numerous nerves and hormones. Insulin and leptin are examples of two hormones with profound effects on nutrient metabolism. Because...
Multiple hormones are involved in regulating your glucose levels. Maintaining your glucose levels within a healthy range is important for your survival. Foods and your diet aren't the only means of influencing your glucose levels.
Proteins contribute to many functions in the body. Proteins are synthesized by cells and used to support them, the surrounding cells or the rest of the body. Collagen is a particular protein that is a component of connective tissue, which serves...
Blood sugar provides the primary source of energy from food delivered through the blood into cells. In some medical conditions, most commonly diabetes mellitus, the blood sugar is elevated. One medication available is the hormone insulin, normally...
Proteins form the backbone of a healthy diet. Your body uses them for thousands of different functions, structures and processes that scientists are still researching. Proteins are made up of smaller structures called amino acids. Your body needs...
Diabetes is a condition that results from an inability of the body to control sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes is less common and occurs when the body does not make insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas that helps the body break down and use sugars...
The body is constantly performing work, even during sleep. In order to carry out this work, whether through the muscle activity involved in exercise, or the work of breathing or the beating of the heart, energy must be supplied. A major starting...
The body needs sources of energy in order to perform work and survive. Oxygen and the blood sugar glucose are important sources of energy. Blood sugar is regulated within narrow limits to maintain health. High or low blood sugar, known...
A blood sugar test measures your body's ability to metabolize carbohydrates. Eating food creates a moderate increase in blood sugar levels, initiating the secretion of insulin from the pancreas to stabilize rising glucose levels. Insulin, a...
Gosh, I'd sure hate to waste a good meal. Wouldn't you? But what if your body could not absorb glucose, leaving you unable to use it to build your health equity, or to convert it into physical energy and stamina? Without the insulin, which is a...