Insulin is a hormone secreted by our pancreas and, more specifically, the beta cells that are in structures called islets of Langerhans.
It is a hormone that is responsible for maintaining body homeostasis after the changes produced after a food intake. After a meal, glucose levels rise, glucagon levels fall, and the pancreas secretes insulin so that the cells can obtain glucose, amino acids, etc. and, thus, the toxicity that high and chronic blood glucose levels could cause is reduced.
Insulin helps muscle, fat cells, and liver absorb glucose from the bloodstream., being stored as glycogen or fat.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance is a pathophysiological phenomenon where the normal action of insulin in different body tissues is altered, causing hyperinsulinemia. This can be caused by several reasons, a hypercaloric diet, a sedentary lifestyle, poor rest, a diet rich in ultra-processed foods, etc. All this can lead to the first symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
If the pancreas continues to secrete insulin chronically, a series of cardiometabolic alterations can occur, increasing cardiovascular risk.
In a pedagogical way, we could say that insulin resistance is as if the key (which would be insulin) is not able to enter the lock (which would be the cell receptor). As there is no entry for glucose, it is stored in the blood and the pancreas that detects it, generates more keys (insulin), creating an environment of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia.
What foods should we eat if we suffer from insulin resistance?
This is a question that, a priori, could be quite difficult to answer, it is simpler than we think when, instead of answering this question, we answer What foods should we not eat if we suffer from insulin resistance? The answer is quite simple, and they are ultra-processed foods.
Before we lived in an obesogenic environment, there weren’t as many cardiometabolic problems as this, so, performing physical exercise, both strength and cardiovascular and a diet based on whole plant foods would be the best option to reduce insulin resistance since both exercise and phytochemicals generate greater tissue tolerance to insulin.
In Vitónica | A way to improve insulin sensitivity and activate fat loss
In Vitónica | Why insulin resistance (and not cholesterol) is responsible for metabolic diseases
Images | istock