Insulin Sensitivity

[ballplaya4237]

Besides aerobic and anaerobic activity, what are some practical and effective ways to increase insulin sensitivity? Also, how would a dramatic of an increase is possible, and what benefits would increased insulin sensitivity have?

Thanks.

[ballplaya4237]

Bump

So far I've come up with the following:


- Chromium Picolinate
- N-Acetyl Cysteine
- DHEA
- R-ALA

I'd really like to hear what other people have to say though...

[MARSHALL350]

y r u worried bout this???

try a low carb diet

[ballplaya4237]

It's a serious indicator of health, that's why. If you want to be insulin resistant that's fine. There's many benefits to improving your insulin sensitivity. Besides, it's a supplement science section, it's a perfectly good question.

I'm on a low carb diet.

[Guardian]

Ketosis will help alot but I wouldnt advize being on it perpetually. Insulin sensitivity is somewhat easy, keep the carbs under control and have carbs that have a low glycemic index. Insulin resistance is caused by many things but one major area is prolonged and repetitive insulin spikes especially in the lack of an anabolic enviroment in the muscle cells. Ideally you want to have just enough carbs to keep muscle glycogen levels high and the replenishment process to be gradual. This is accomplished through combination of high meal frequency and low gi foods. If possible you also should try to avoid highprotein+high carbs as this combination causes the greatest insulin spile. You also may want to try to incorporate about 10 grams of healthy fat with each meal, healthy fat helps insulin sensitivity and slow absorption of carbs into the bloodstream.

[Whingman]

It's a serious indicator of health, that's why. If you want to be insulin resistant that's fine. There's many benefits to improving your insulin sensitivity. Besides, it's a supplement science section, it's a perfectly good question.

I'm on a low carb diet.

I Don't mean to be rude but you started this thread asking what benifiets increased insulin sensitivity would have, then you lecture another poster on the benifiets...

anyways...

On top of what you have mentioned Cinamon is supposed to effect Insulin Sensitivity, you could try mixing a teaspoon or two in a protien shake. Anyways I have also heard that things like Zinc and Magnesium can increase insulin sensitivty. So I suppose those are things you can look into.

[FlyingV]

Well...dont know if I'd call that ^ a 'lecture on the benefits'....dude asked why he was concerned with it in the first place and he responded. What was he supposed to say? But that's good info nonetheless Whingman.

You could add vanadyl sulfate and I think even fish oil has shown some benefits for this.

[ballplaya4237]

Ketosis will help alot but I wouldnt advize being on it perpetually. Insulin sensitivity is somewhat easy, keep the carbs under control and have carbs that have a low glycemic index. Insulin resistance is caused by many things but one major area is prolonged and repetitive insulin spikes especially in the lack of an anabolic enviroment in the muscle cells. Ideally you want to have just enough carbs to keep muscle glycogen levels high and the replenishment process to be gradual. This is accomplished through combination of high meal frequency and low gi foods. If possible you also should try to avoid highprotein+high carbs as this combination causes the greatest insulin spile. You also may want to try to incorporate about 10 grams of healthy fat with each meal, healthy fat helps insulin sensitivity and slow absorption of carbs into the bloodstream.

Thanks for the info esp. how it's caused.

I Don't mean to be rude but you started this thread asking what benifiets increased insulin sensitivity would have, then you lecture another poster on the benifiets...

anyways...

On top of what you have mentioned Cinamon is supposed to effect Insulin Sensitivity, you could try mixing a teaspoon or two in a protien shake. Anyways I have also heard that things like Zinc and Magnesium can increase insulin sensitivty. So I suppose those are things you can look into.

Thanks for the info, Cinnamon sounds interesting and I've also heard about Magnesium's effects bing positive (only in a form that ends with -ate Ex. Magnesium Chelate). I'll look into all of those. Thanks.

Also, I wasn't trying to lecture or anything. I know some benefits but I don't know everything. Just looking to learn more.

Well...dont know if I'd call that ^ a 'lecture on the benefits'....dude asked why he was concerned with it in the first place and he responded. What was he supposed to say? But that's good info nonetheless Whingman.

You could add vanadyl sulfate and I think even fish oil has shown some benefits for this.

Just added fish oil even tho I hate the fish burps lol and I'll look into V.S. Thanks.

[Whingman]

Thanks for the info esp. how it's caused.

Also, I wasn't trying to lecture or anything. I know some benefits but I don't know everything. Just looking to learn more.

No worries, probabley just me, I was stuck inside all day....

[Bfloblitz]

Have a fasting glucose blood test done.If your number falls in the middle of normal or there abouts your good. You'll never have to worry about this if you eat a healthy moderate carb(low glycemic) diet, weight train and do your cardio. Remember this is something 90% of our population can't do. If diabetes runs in your family thats something you cant control and then you must pay closer attention to diet, exercise and fasting glucose numbers. Supplement-wise R-ALA is numero uno. Also Cinnulin-PF.

[Nick29]

If diabetes runs in your family thats something you cant control

not necessarily. Obesity is the main risk factor for Type II diabetes, which is the most common form of the disease. The truth of the matter is a lot of (if not most) diabetics get the disease because of their own actions. Type II diabetes may run in families, but it has a lot to do with the fact that eating habits, and the negative effects thereof, also run in families. Type I diabetes is thought to have a hereditary component, but it only accounts for 10% of cases of diabetes mellitus.

FWIW, insulin resistance is a precursor to type II diabetes

[timo2007]

Hi, i'm type 2 diabetic recently diagnosed. Be careful with cinnamon supplementation, I've heard it has a toxicity threshhold. Also, the form of cinnamon is also important, i've heard that powder is not a good source since it only gets dissolved and degraded in the stomach and never reaches the bloodstream. I'll try to find the article I saw on this site a few weeks back. Look under "articles" link for diabetics related articles.

[grapemaster]

Benfotiamine

very overlooked for a cheap supplement, probably b/c bb.com doesn't sell it...

Benfotiamine, a synthetic variant of vitamin B1, can help prevent nerve and blood-vessel damage caused by diabetes. Two of the main impacts of diabetes are circulatory difficulties and vision problems. These symptoms are caused by a build-up of sugar in the tissues. As there are considerable changes in insulin and glucose tolerance with age ? sometimes referred to as age-related diabetes ? similar symptoms have often been considered part of the aging process.

Now researchers have reported that Benfotiamine halts much of that sugar accumulation. This could result in a vastly improved quality of life for those with the disease and those suffering the age-related symptoms.

Much of the damage of diabetes is caused when glucose-derived compounds, called triosephosphates, accumulate in vascular and nerve cells. The activation of the enzyme transketolase, turns triosephosphates into chemicals that are harmless.

Transketolase is a thiamine-dependent enzyme, so it has been thought that thiamine, (also known as vitamin B1) could activate Transketolase. But, thiamine only activates it at level around 20%, which isn't enough to stop the glucose-derived compounds accumulating in healthy cells. However, recent research has found that Benfotiamine increases the levels of transketolase by 300%!

While its action has not been tested on the process that controls nerve cells, it is thought that it may work similarly there. Even so, whatever the outcome of that research, we already understand enough about Benfotiamine to realise that it can prevent many diabetes-related complications.

I take one of these a day

http://www. i h e r b .com/store/ProductDetails.aspx?c=Herbs&pid=DRB-00129

4 month supply for 13 bucks... worth adding to your arsenal.

Benfotiamine (S-benzyolthiamine-O-monophosphate) is a synthetic derivative of thiamin, belonging to the family of compounds knows as "allithiamines." Benfotiamine is fat-soluble and more bioavailable and physiologically active than thiamin.* Benfotiamine raises the blood level of thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP), the biologically active co-enzyme of thiamin, and stimulates transkotelase, a cellular enzyme essential for maintenance of normal glucose metabolic pathways.*
Helps maintain healthy cells in the presence of blood glucose.
Controls formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs)*
Normalizes cellular processes fueled by glucose metabolites.*

take R-ALA with your pwo shake or *heavy* carb meals. It is good stacked with ALCAR.

[ballplaya4237]

Thanks for the info grapemaster, Benfotiamine definetly looks like it deserves some attention.

Quick question, suppose you began taking a slew of supplements (Chromium Picolinate, N-Acetyl Cysteine, DHEA, R-ALA) that promoted positive use of Insulin. What would the immediate effects be for someone who was relativly resistant to Insulin?

My guess is as follows: Due to the increase of insulin sensitivity and the prior lack of sensitivity; your body would rapidly begin taking up insulin into any cell it could (fat/muscle) which would cause fat gain for sure...but what about increased muscle gain? Would this also lead to increased water retention in any way? How long would it take to improve/restore decent insulin sensitivity (w/ anaerobic/aerobic/supplements)?

[ballplaya4237]

Bump

[Guardian]

Thanks for the info grapemaster, Benfotiamine definetly looks like it deserves some attention.

Quick question, suppose you began taking a slew of supplements (Chromium Picolinate, N-Acetyl Cysteine, DHEA, R-ALA) that promoted positive use of Insulin. What would the immediate effects be for someone who was relativly resistant to Insulin?

My guess is as follows: Due to the increase of insulin sensitivity and the prior lack of sensitivity; your body would rapidly begin taking up insulin into any cell it could (fat/muscle) which would cause fat gain for sure...but what about increased muscle gain? Would this also lead to increased water retention in any way? How long would it take to improve/restore decent insulin sensitivity (w/ anaerobic/aerobic/supplements)?

Greater insulin sensitivity generally will cause nutrient partitioning to an extent, more nutrients will go to muscle cells then fat cells. The reason most diabetics are fat is because there muscle cells are resistant to insulin and the energy is shuttled more into adipose tissue.

Some water retention may result due to increased glycogen in the muscle cells. Its hard to say how long it would take nor if it would have any long term effects after the supplements are removed.

Your to young to worry much about insulin resistance, for people that are youg most of these supplements are a waste of money.

More important then any supplement is how you eat. If you have a solid diet your whole life and still get diabetes, most likely your gonna get it even if you take supplements.

[vitaminjunkie]

To control your blood sugar you don't have to be on a low carb diet to achieve results. You will feel much better if you just avoid high GI carbs, Glycemic Index carbs, not all carbs. Eat plenty of fruits, vegs., and whole grain but just try to avoid the white carbs......sugar, white flour, and any processed carbs. I would try to clean up you diet before you resort to supplements to control blood sugar but if it's not working well enough, some of the most effective and safesty supplements are:

-Lipoic Acid 100mg
-Cinnamin pf
-Omega-3 fish oil
-chromium pic. 200mcg.

VJ

[wakeboardone]

I've been trying to work on insulin resistance for the past year now.
Last year my bloodwork showed that I was borderline diabetic based on my bloodsugar (they retested because they thought maybe I had eaten something that threw off the test the first time). It also showed that my triglycerides were almost DOUBLE normal levels. Btw, I'm far from being obese, and the only diabetes in the family was a grandfather who was extremely overweight. I have another physical this October, and will be very interested to see what this year of trying to work on things has done to my results.

Diet is the best thing to work on to increase insulin sensitivity. As vitamin said, avoid processed carbs, white rice, potatoes. Avoid starchy vegetables like corn. Cut down on sugar (but you've probably already done that). Berries are one of the best fruits as far as being good carbs.


I got a book called 'Protein Power' that is all about insulin resistance and improving it. Most of it seemed to be well researched and made sense. I got a few laughs out of the section on exercise though (the book is big on trying to live and eat like humans did way in the past, before there was an abundance of grains in our diet)

[vitaminjunkie]

I forgot to mention that if you do like to sweeten things, like coffee or ice tea, try natural sweeteners like stevia or agave syrup which have very little impact on blood sugar(low on the glycemic index).

VJ

[ballplaya4237]

I've been trying to work on insulin resistance for the past year now.
Last year my bloodwork showed that I was borderline diabetic based on my bloodsugar (they retested because they thought maybe I had eaten something that threw off the test the first time). It also showed that my triglycerides were almost DOUBLE normal levels. Btw, I'm far from being obese, and the only diabetes in the family was a grandfather who was extremely overweight. I have another physical this October, and will be very interested to see what this year of trying to work on things has done to my results.

Diet is the best thing to work on to increase insulin sensitivity. As vitamin said, avoid processed carbs, white rice, potatoes. Avoid starchy vegetables like corn. Cut down on sugar (but you've probably already done that). Berries are one of the best fruits as far as being good carbs.


I got a book called 'Protein Power' that is all about insulin resistance and improving it. Most of it seemed to be well researched and made sense. I got a few laughs out of the section on exercise though (the book is big on trying to live and eat like humans did way in the past, before there was an abundance of grains in our diet)

Sounds intresting. Good luck with your physical...were you weight training/dieting at all before that first physical?

I've heard good things about "Protein Power"..even though I'm not one for reading a book, I may go pick it up. In regards to living and eating as we did in the past, it's very similar to Paleo and Art De Vany's philopshy to living healthy...which I happen to buy into, lol.

Are there any must-do tips in the book you'd like to share?

Thanks for all the other replies guys. Feel free to share any new information you may have run across.

[HalleluYAH]

Fiber can also be very instrumental at keeping blood sugar stable. I wrote an article on the subject last month. Here is a link for those interested...

Dietary Fiber 101
by HalleluYAH
http://www.strengthandscience.com/may/article5.htm

[vitaminjunkie]

Fiber can also be very instrumental at keeping blood sugar stable. I wrote an article on the subject last month. Here is a link for those interested...

Dietary Fiber 101
by HalleluYAH
http://www.strengthandscience.com/may/article5.htm

That is very true. Trying to add some fiber at each meal is instrumental is slowing down the digestion process which has a postive effect on not letting your blood sugar spike. When I mix my protein powder, I add a serving of flax meal, which is a fine powder and adds fiber to the shake.

VJ