What can too much insulin cause?

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate glucose levels in our blood. However, just like with anything else in life, too much of something can have negative consequences. In this article, we will explore what happens when there’s an excess of insulin circulating in your body.

Insulin Resistance: The Gateway Condition to Diabetes

Insulin resistance occurs when cells become less responsive to insulin and therefore require more insulin to achieve the required response. This condition is often seen as a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
While some people develop type 2 diabetes without experiencing any symptoms or signs, others may show vague symptoms including:

  • Increased thirst
  • Frequent urination
  • Fatigue
  • Weight loss (if you’re not trying)

If left untreated for long periods of time, insulin resistance could cause chronic damage to major organs such as eyesight and arteries.

Type 1 vs Type 2 Diabetes

It’s important first though, to understand that there are essentially two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system attacking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas while type 2 is caused by lifestyle factors such as poor diet choices combined with genetic predisposition which ultimately leads to reduced sensitivity towards insulin over time.

Obviously these very different causes would be treated medically quite differently however both exhibit similar symptoms if they are able run unchecked for any length of time.

Hypoglycemia: A Dangerous Side Effect

When an excessive amount of insulin is secreted into your bloodstream it can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels known as hypoglycemia. That means that rather than helping our bodies manage glucose levels properly it ends up doing quite the opposite!
Symptoms include confusion , shakiness & dizziness commonly referred ‘going hypo’ – it can be a bit like the feeling you get when coming off a rollercoaster ride, mixed with some light cramps only more dangerous!

Severe Hypoglycemia and Coma

Severe hypoglycemia is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. In fact untreated severe hypoglycemic episodes could lead to seizures, coma or even death! It’s pretty serious stuff.

Weight Gain: A Surprising Consequence

Did you know that insulin helps store fat in your body? When there’s too much insulin present, your body stores excess glucose (sugar) in the form of fat which leads to weight gain over time.
It works by reducing your metabolism and making far harder to lose weight than ever before. This effect has been studied extensively and people who are classed as obese are likely producing copious amounts of excess-insulin daily.

How You Can Avoid To Much Insulin Causing Weight Gain?

Some things to keep in mind:

  • Stick with nutrient-dense whole foods instead of relying on processed food options
  • If willpower alone isn’t getting you anywhere maybe discuss meeting up with an A.N.P.: Advanced Nurse Practitioner
  • Stimulating exercise such as high-intensity interval training has been shown to improve both sugar management & overall metabolic rate for those looking towards sustainable lifestyle changes

High Blood Pressure: Another Danger

Elevated levels of insulin in your bloodstream can also increase blood pressure or cause hypertension. Additionally, hypertension makes heart disease more likely which undeniably carries consequent risks.

Minimizing The Risk Of High Blood Pressure

It should go without saying but if we don’t open our mouth about what needs changing then whatever happens next is actually kind-of-sort-of all-your-fault.

A few ways to reduce blood pressure through improved dietary practices include:

  • Incorporate potassium-rich foods
  • Watch the sodium content of processed & packaged food to avoid undue inflammation or risk
  • Exercise (such as jogging or cycling) regularly. This has been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure and improved mood

Accelerated Aging: An Unwanted Side Effect?

Lastly, another possible consequence of too much insulin is an increased likelihood that you’ll age more quickly than others.
When the body receives more glucose than it requires for its immediate energetic needs, then the excess sugar molecules react with proteins in a process called glycation which ultimately leads to accelerated aging.

How You Can Slow Down The Aging Process

To help lessen your potential for accelerated aging caused by high levels of insulin do any if not all! of these according lifestyle alterations:

  • Limit consumption sugary drinks such as fruit juice ant try swapping with none-sugar added varieties whereever possible
  • Include legumes and vary raw vegetables into meals regurlarly
  • Stay hydrated

Changing one thing regularly certainly can’t hurt!

In Conclusion

There is absolutely no doubt that ensuring stable Insulin levels is critical for maintaining our health in a range of areas. Factors like dietary practices, stress management are vital when it comes down balancing out Insulin production within our bodies cyclically .

So remember folks – keep things steady-eddy & keep coming back here for allllll your healthy tips 😉

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