Insulin resistance (IR) is a topic that’s been of paramount interest in medical research for nearly a century. Insulin is a pancreatic hormone which plays key roles in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats.
What is Insulin Resistance? When tissues become less responsive to the effects of insulin, the pancreas must produce more and more insulin to maintain glucose homeostasis; this state is the definition of insulin resistance. IR has long been infamous for its central role in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes, but we now know that IR is also involved in the development of a host of other life-threatening conditions.
How can we prevent IR from developing, and can it be reversed? IR has long been infamous for its central role in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes, but we now know that IR is also involved in the development of a host of other life-threatening conditions, ranging from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease to Alzheimer’s disease to cancer to fatty liver disease. These threats underscore the critical importance of IR prevention and mitigation (or even reversal) as part of the effort toward extending lifespan and healthspan.
Below is a compilation of podcasts, clips, and articles focused on insulin resistance, what it means, and strategies for prevention and treatment.
“If you’re in the business of wanting to live the healthiest life you can live, which means longer and better, you’ve got to be insulin sensitive, full stop.” — Peter Attia
“Fructose turns out to have been meant to be this wonderful system for survival, but in our culture with the amount of sugar in foods that we are eating (that either provide sugar or can be turned into fructose), this pathway has become hazardous.” —Rick Johnson
“Zone two is a metabolic state. It’s not determined by speed. It’s determined by which energy system you’re requiring and what the equilibrium is.” —Peter Attia
“If you’re in the business of wanting to live the healthiest life you can live, which means longer and better, you’ve got to be insulin sensitive, full stop.” — Peter Attia
“If we can understand insulin resistance, then that’s going to be the best way to fix diabetes, heart disease,. . .fatty liver disease, and slow down cancers.” — Gerald Shulman
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