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10 Methods On How To Lower Insulin

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Our body converts food into energy each day using the hormone insulin. Sometimes an interruption in this process may result in insulin resistance, which may affect the blood sugar levels and could further induce type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.

It is still possible to finally lower your insulin levels by being consistent with your lifestyle changes that could be maintained over the long term. 

It takes a few days for the insulin levels to drop to the desired range and to do that the individual has to maintain some crucial suggestions on what to add an element from their everyday life.

When it comes to confronting insulin resistance, it is important to realize that you are not alone. There are effective methods and strategies which you may employ for overcoming the issue.

Effective Strategies For Insulin Reduction

  1. Engage In Physical Activity 

    You must prevent yourself from being on a sedentary lifestyle to put some control over your insulin levels.

    Start by leaving your desk and moving out more frequently during your brief breaks. Dynamic stretches may also be done while going from one to another.

    You could engage yourself in simple home tasks like organizing a cabinet, getting yourself a cup of tea, or bending the dishes. 

    Your body would stretch out due to these activities and it will improve your blood and oxygen flow throughout the body, along with that, it will lower your stress levels and prevent insulin from rising to high levels.

    This could be one of the best ways for healthy and diabetic or prediabetic individuals to engage[1] in regular exercise. 

    In that case, all types of exercise are pretty advantageous. Mostly aerobic exercise is significantly more effective than any other form of exercise when it comes to decreasing insulin levels.

    Make it a target that you need to strive to exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes every day and a few times a week, but ultimately it is in your own hands to decide what you want to do.

  2. Trim Down Your Carbs

    All the foods that are high in carbohydrates may taste good, but they may not be good for you to eat because they may significantly elevate your insulin and blood sugar levels.

    You must follow[2] a low-carb diet to lower blood pressure, cut insulin levels, and promote weight loss. 

    This may be a valid procedure for those who suffer from illnesses like polycystic ovarian syndrome or metabolic syndrome which are invariably linked to insulin resistance.

  3. Maintain A Healthy Protein Diet

    Proteins encourage the synthesis of insulin, and consequently consuming a lot of protein will make your insulin levels elevate.

    While a moderate intake of protein is beneficial[3] for the synthesis of insulin but excessive amounts might get too harmful. 

    Proteins help lower your insulin levels, especially with foods like omega-3 fatty acids, soybeans, lentils, and beans.

    But you must also keep in mind that not all the proteins may be helpful, for instance, red meats such as hog, beef, and venison include proteins that could be more harmful to you than beneficial.

  4. Take Charge Of Your Portions

    There are a lot of people who claim that their insulin levels have not changed despite eating well and living a healthy lifestyle.

    For them, it is important to care about how much food they consume because it could be a reason behind their lack of results.

    If the consumption of food is very high then the pancreas produces more insulin and it may result in hyperinsulinemia when there is a rise in your insulin levels.

    By having smaller servings and consuming fewer calories you may also reduce your insulin sensitivity and therefore lower your insulin levels.

  5. Reduce Sugar Consumption

    In addition to carbohydrates, you must limit other things as well such as sugar. Too much consumption of sugar might increase insulin levels and promote insulin resistance. 

    Additionally, it has also been demonstrated[4] how the consumption of sugar-rich meals like sweets in excess may cause elevated insulin levels and weight gain.

  6. Periodic Fasting

    Although intermittent fasting has recently been quite popular[5] as a weight loss method, many don’t know that it offers a lot more advantages.

    The main goal of intermittent fasting is to force people to adhere to a rigid schedule for when to eat so that enough time gaps are remaining between meals.

    The time between meals enables the body to digest the food more slowly and prevents the abrupt absorption of excessive carbohydrates. 

    Before attempting this fasting strategy, it is crucial to speak with a doctor or nutritionist because it might not be productive for every individual.

    Additionally, not all forms of intermittent fasting are effective at reducing insulin so fasting on alternate days appears to be the most successful.

  7. Reduce Weight

    If you wish to lower your insulin levels then losing weight could be the most effective[6] strategy. Visceral fat which includes belly fat may be harmful to your health.

    So, reducing visceral abdominal fat could reduce your insulin levels. Your body’s visceral fat makes you more insulin resistant, and this leads to a rise in insulin levels. So, losing fat may significantly reduce insulin levels.

  8. Include ACV

    Perhaps apple cider vinegar is as fantastic as it portrays it to be. It has been demonstrated[7] that consuming it alongside a high carbohydrate meal will reduce insulin.

    Apple cider vinegar may also slow the digestion process so that the sugar from the carbohydrates consumed is better absorbed into the bloodstream.

    So, later when you intend to have something high in carbohydrates, it is recommended that you walk out a way to incorporate some apple cider vinegar into your diet.

  9. Relax And Unwind

    It is important to know that the body releases excess insulin, to provide us with surplus[8] energy when we are stressed.

    Therefore, if you’re always under stress, then your insulin levels would usually be to the roof.

    So, it is recommended that you must de-stress and attempt to get more sleep, exercise regularly, and do yoga and meditation daily.

    Even spending some time doing something you like may reduce your insulin levels.

  10. Know More About Soluble Fiber Foods

    Soluble fiber absorbs water when it is consumed[9] and when it solidifies into a gel.

    This will cause meals to go more slowly to your digestive system, thus prolonging your feeling of fullness and at the same time preventing the blood sugar in the insulin from spiking to a high level. 

    Additionally, it may also increase the beneficial bacteria in your colon, and it will lessen insulin resistance.

    For instance, there are some foods with high insoluble fiber such as beans, avocados, sprouts, Broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, sunflower seeds, and oats.

What Is Insulin?

The body uses the hormone called insulin to turn carbohydrates into energy.

Without insulin, your blood glucose levels could rise to a risky level, thus wreaking havoc on their organs, especially the nerves in their kidneys, eyes, hands, and feet. 

It is expected that in a perfect body, insulin and blood sugar should be balanced.

However, there may be specific circumstances where insulin does not function as it should, causing the body to produce too much insulin.

Insulin resistance is outlined as being both a risk factor for diabetes and a crucial aspect of type 2 diabetes.

How Does Insulin Function In The Body?

Foods that contain carbs are transformed into glucose during digestion. The majority of this glucose enters your bloodstream, increasing your blood glucose levels.

Your pancreas would start producing[10] insulin. As a result of the rise in blood glucose. Insulin may instruct all of your body’s cells to absorb glucose from your bloodstream.

When glucose enters your cells, it decreases blood glucose levels. Glucose is used as energy by some cells.

One of the vital hormones in our body, insulin is created by beta-pancreatic cells, as our body needs the energy to carry out the metabolic functions. 

The glucose found in the food provides us with that energy. For instance, the food we eat releases glucose for the body to use in our bloodstream.

When the pancreas encounters this glucose, it releases insulin. It guarantees that the cells may efficiently absorb the sugars, transform them into energy, and maintain a constant level of blood glucose.

However, “Hyperinsulinemia” results when a person’s pancreas generates excessive amounts of the hormone insulin because it is unable to control how much it secretes.

Conclusion

The pre-diabetic, diabetics and non-diabetics maintain healthy insulin levels.

There could be numerous health issues which include insulin resistance and diseases of the liver and the pancreas which are caused by an abnormally high quantity of insulin in the body.

Additionally, choosing foods that are high in fiber and greens, eating delicious, well-balanced meals with the right portions, and taking medications on schedule, would gradually help your body to stabilize glucose and insulin levels.

Naturally, you need to consult your concerned medical professional before making any significant dietary and lifestyle changes.

References/Sources

Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.

  1. Vighnesh Vetrivel Venkatasamy, Sandeep Pericherla, Sachin Manthuruthil, et. al. Effect of Physical activity on Insulin Resistance, Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Diabetes Mellitus. J Clin Diagn Res. 2013 Aug; 7(8): 1764–1766. Published online 2013 Jul 17. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2013/6518.3306
  2. Peter J. Foley. Effect of low carbohydrate diets on insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2021 Oct; 28(5): 463–468. Published online 2021 Jul 22. doi: 10.1097/MED.0000000000000659
  3. Francesca Tettamanzi, Vincenzo Bagnardi, Panayiotis Louca, et. al. A High Protein Diet Is More Effective in Improving Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Variability Compared to a Mediterranean Diet-A Cross-Over Controlled Inpatient Dietary Study. Nutrients. 2021 Dec 7;13(12):4380. doi: 10.3390/nu13124380. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34959931/
  4. Jaimie N. Davis, Emily E. Ventura, Gabriel Q. Shaibi, et. al. Reduction in Added Sugar Intake and Improvement in Insulin Secretion in Overweight Latina Adolescents. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2007 Jun; 5(2): 183–193. doi: 10.1089/met.2006.0038
  5. Xiaojie Yuan, Jiping Wang, Shuo Yang, et. al. Effect of Intermittent Fasting Diet on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Impaired Glucose and Lipid Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Endocrinol. 2022; 2022: 6999907. Published online 2022 Mar 24. doi: 10.1155/2022/6999907
  6. Simon Schenk, Matthew P Harber, Cara R Shrivastava, et. al. Improved insulin sensitivity after weight loss and exercise training is mediated by a reduction in plasma fatty acid mobilization, not enhanced oxidative capacity. J Physiol. 2009 Oct 15; 587(Pt 20): 4949–4961. Published online 2009 Sep 1. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.175489
  7. Panayota Mitrou, Eleni Petsiou, Emilia Papakonstantinou, et. al. Vinegar Consumption Increases Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Uptake by the Forearm Muscle in Humans with Type 2 Diabetes. J Diabetes Res. 2015; 2015: 175204. Published online 2015 May 6. doi: 10.1155/2015/175204
  8. Manoharan Mangala Gowri, Jayanthi Rajendran, Abu Raghavan Srinivasan, et. al. Impact of an Integrated Yoga Therapy Protocol on Insulin Resistance and Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2022 Jan; 13(1): e0005. Published online 2022 Jan 27. doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10462
  9. Yutong Dong, Li Chen, Bernard Gutin, et. al. Total, Insoluble, and Soluble Dietary Fiber Intake and Insulin Resistance and Blood Pressure in Adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019 Aug; 73(8): 1172–1178. Published online 2018 Dec 6. doi: 10.1038/s41430-018-0372-y
  10. Md Saidur Rahman, Khandkar Shaharina Hossain, Sharnali Das, et. al. Role of Insulin in Health and Disease: An Update. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jun; 22(12): 6403. Published online 2021 Jun 15. doi: 10.3390/ijms22126403

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