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Insulin Insufficiency and a Low Carb Diet

One of the largest misunderstandings circulating within the low carb community is the mistaken idea that everyone on a low carb diet has insulin resistance. While most of us have some type of metabolic problem or defect, it isn’t always from insulinemia. Sometimes, the problem is not too much insulin; sometimes, it’s actually not enough. For those with insulin resistance, the problem can be easy to solve: Just restrict carbs to your personal level of tolerance and save carby treats for special occasions. That results in increased sensitivity to insulin and better blood glucose control. If you have insulin insufficiency, however, the problem is more complex. Role of Insulin A fear of carbs and insulin is common among low carb dieters, but insulin is vital to survival. If you don’t produce enough insulin, you’ll die. Insulin is a peptide hormone secreted by the beta cells inside the pancreas. It’s released about every 5 to 10 seconds at a very small level, and then in larger quantities a...

Role of Insulin in Weight Loss

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Mozzarella Cheese  If you’ve read Dr. Eades’ or Dr. Atkins’ books, you might have developed a serious dislike for insulin. For those with metabolic issues, insulin often sits at the heart of the dysfunction. What most low carb dieters believe is that insulin causes the carbohydrates you eat to be stored as body fat. Lower your insulin levels and your body will burn your fat stores instead. Unfortunately, that isn’t how the role of insulin in weight loss works. How Insulin Works Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas for a variety of reasons. The need to get glucose into your body cells and return your blood sugar levels back to normal is only one of them. Many low carbers refer to insulin as a nutrient-storage hormone because it encourages the body to use any toxic levels of alcohol or glucose first and store the fats and/or proteins you eat for use later on. If you eat a high carbohydrate meal, the glucose the body doesn’t immediately need is turned into glycogen an...