Insulin properties | Positive effect | Negative effect | How to lower blood insulin
The hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas. It affects energy conservation and muscle development, delivers glucose, amino acids and fats to cells. Its main task is to maintain a safe and stable glucose level. When there is a higher than normal level in the blood, the pancreas secretes this important hormone. But too much of it is dangerous to health. Elevated insulin in the blood needs to be treated.
Insulin properties
Many people believe that since insulin is associated with blood sugar, it should be avoided. Otherwise, obesity and all related problems will appear. This is not true.
Firstly, there is no way to get rid of insulin in the blood. If you eat insulin is produced.
Secondly, insulin has many important functions. Someone must deliver useful substances to tissues and store them there.
Insulin is a beneficial hormone. With type 1 diabetes, it is not produced. If you do not receive it in artificial form, death occurs. But an increased level of insulin in the blood is deadly. Fortunately, it can be controlled.
Positive effect of insulin
It stimulates protein synthesis and prevents its destruction; therefore it has a beneficial effect on muscle elasticity and strength;
delivers amino acids to muscle cells;
activates glycogen synthesis, due to which a supply of glucose is created in muscle cells.
If there is a constant high level of insulin in the blood, problems arise. Obesity develops, cardiovascular diseases appear, the risk of type 2 diabetes increases.
Negative effect of insulin
- Blocks hormone receptor lipase, thereby preventing the breakdown of adipose tissue;
- saves fat by burning carbohydrates for energy;
- increases the synthesis of fatty acids; in particular, triglycerides (as their level rises, the amount of good cholesterol decreases, and the risk of developing heart diseases increases);
- helps glucose enter fat cells;
- stimulates the production of “bad” cholesterol;
- increased insulin in the blood leads to blockage and destruction of arteries;
- raises blood pressure;
- stimulates the growth of cancer cells (because insulin is a growth hormone).
How to lower blood insulin
During animal experiments, it turned out that long regular breaks between meals reduce the risk of cancer, and the number of calories in the diet can be reduced. There are cases when cancer patients were cured by many days of fasting.
- Adjust the diet. Eat at the same time, but not often. Do not eat after 7 pm in the evening. You can try fasting once a week. That is, do not have food for twenty-four hours. Periodic starvation triggers a cell repair mechanism. This significantly extends their service life. Indeed, it is energy safer to repair cells than to reproduce new ones.
- Adjust the diet. A diet with elevated insulin consists of foods with a low glycemic index and high fiber content. These are cereals, cereals, vegetables and fruits, low-fat lactic acid products, herbs and more.
- Avoid stressful situations and prolonged nervous tension.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
In some cases, in order to lower the level of insulin in the blood, you need to take special medications prescribed by an endocrinologist. You can do without pharmacological agents sometimes if you use herbal remedies.
Neither medications nor folk recipes will help if you do not adjust your diet and diet.