Question about insulin resistance; please read on...?!
Question: I am insulin resistant; I take Glucophage (metformin) to help with the problem. There's something that I've never quite understood, though. I know that insulin is what allows cells to utilize the glucose in the bloodstream, and I know that type II diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals usually produce plenty of insulin. It seems to me that the fat cells can use it with no problem, but the other cells (that actually DO something) are the ones that can't use it well. A person who produces little or no insulin tends, if untreated, to fail to produce fat cells, and indeed, to use up the stored fat that they have, thus losing weight; a person who is insulin resistant or Type II diabetic seems to have no problem storing energy as fat, but can't use it for other purposes, thus gaining weight even while still often feeling hungry.
My question: Do fat cells somehow use insulin differently than other cells? Any references would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Answers: I am insulin resistant; I take Glucophage (metformin) to help with the problem. There's something that I've never quite understood, though. I know that insulin is what allows cells to utilize the glucose in the bloodstream, and I know that type II diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals usually produce plenty of insulin. It seems to me that the fat cells can use it with no problem, but the other cells (that actually DO something) are the ones that can't use it well. A person who produces little or no insulin tends, if untreated, to fail to produce fat cells, and indeed, to use up the stored fat that they have, thus losing weight; a person who is insulin resistant or Type II diabetic seems to have no problem storing energy as fat, but can't use it for other purposes, thus gaining weight even while still often feeling hungry.
My question: Do fat cells somehow use insulin differently than other cells? Any references would be appreciated.
Thanks!
No.
I am not sure that I can totally answer your question but I do know that "a person who produces little or no insulin " does not fail to product fat cells. A body has a finite amount of fat cells, They just don't store fat and as a result are usually thin or lose weight. A type 11 diabetic produces the proper amount of insulin but the body is resistant to it and most is wasted. Taking metformin or something similar helps the body to recognize the insulin and utilize it properly. Sometimes the medication can slow the weight loss , but metformin is not one of those. Hope this helps.
I'm not buying that. In all the reading I've done, I've never read anything to indicate that fat cells can utilize our existing insulin better than other cells. It's irrelevant in any case. What is important is getting the other cells to become less resistant. I've spent the last five years learning about this. Since incorporating Dr. Joel Fuhrmans, "Eat to Live" concept into my lifestyle, my insulin resistance has gone down. So much so, that I quit the Metformin over two months ago. Read more here: http://drfuhrman.com/
And my own blog here: http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/Type...
I don't know that fat cells use the insulin better or even differently. Haven't done much research on that side of this equation.
I do know that if the muscles are not accepting glucose for energy, the body starts eating the fat cells then the muscles for the energy it needs to keep going. Thus we lose weight rapidly and uncontrollably.
I really THINK the insulin produced is flushed out of the bod in the filtering systems as if it were a poison. Filtering systems being the kidneys and liver.