Insulin is one of the most important hormones secreted by the body through the pancreas. As it regulates the amount of nutrients present in the blood, and this in turn plays a major role in controlling blood sugar, as well as affecting the digestion of fats and proteins. Is insulin sensitivity a good or bad thing? This is what we will learn about in this article.

The difference between insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance

Insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance are two sides of the same coin, as when you eat a meal that contains an amount of carbohydrates, your blood sugar level increases; This prompts the cells of the pancreas to release the hormone insulin into the blood.

• In case of insulin sensitivity: Insulin begins to help cells absorb sugar from the blood. Which leads and helps to lower blood sugar levels.
• In case of insulin resistance: Cells stop responding to insulin; forcing the pancreas to produce more of the hormone insulin; This leads to an increase in the level of sugar in the blood.

From the foregoing, we conclude that insulin sensitivity plays an important role in lowering the level of sugar in the blood. Which helps maintain a healthy body, so how can insulin sensitivity be calculated?

Calculation of insulin sensitivity

Insulin sensitivity factor can be calculated in two different ways, where:

• Regular insulin: Use the rule of 1500. This rule tells you how much lower your blood sugar will be per unit of regular insulin.

For example, when taking 30 units of regular insulin per day, we divide 1500 by 30, and this equals 50, meaning that one unit of regular insulin will reduce blood sugar by about 50 mg / dL.

• Short acting insulin: Use the 1800 rule. This tells you how much lower your blood sugar will be per unit of short-acting insulin.

For example, when taking 30 units of short-acting insulin per day, we divide 1800 by 30, and this equals 60, meaning that one unit of short-acting insulin will reduce blood sugar by about 60 mg / dL.

How does lifestyle contribute to insulin sensitivity?

People who want to improve their insulin sensitivity can make the following lifestyle changes:

1. Get more exercise

One way to improve insulin sensitivity is getting more exercise. Where after reviewing 11 reliable studies, it was found that there is an association between increasing levels of physical activity and improving insulin sensitivity.

The review recommended a structured training program; This will help in consuming some of the glucose in the blood, which will result in maintaining a normal blood glucose level.

2. Combine different exercises

A review published in 2013 indicates that there are certain types of exercise that increase insulin sensitivity more than others, and it recommended that you exercise about 30 minutes at least five times a week, and that these exercises should include aerobic exercise three times a week and strength training twice a week. the week.

3. Get more sleep

Getting more sleep may improve insulin sensitivity. A study was conducted involving 16 healthy people who did not sleep long enough. They extended their sleep by an hour per day for 6 weeks. This helped increase insulin sensitivity.

Effect of diet on insulin sensitivity

Research suggests that making certain dietary changes can increase insulin sensitivity, such as:

1. Fewer carbohydrates and more unsaturated fats

Recent research suggests that replacing carbohydrates with unsaturated fats may improve insulin sensitivity in some people. A study found the effect of different diets on people with high blood pressure, which is an important factor in developing type 2 diabetes.

The researchers concluded that eating fewer carbohydrates and more unsaturated fats for 6 weeks improved insulin sensitivity. Additionally, a more recent 2018 review suggested that a low-carb diet may actually increase insulin resistance, especially if a person does not lose weight while on the diet.

Finally, a review of 102 studies found that replacing carbohydrates and saturated fats with unsaturated fats may improve blood sugar regulation.

2. More soluble fiber

Soluble fiber is a type of dietary fiber that comes from plants. Although it is a type of carbohydrate, the body cannot break it down completely. Therefore, there is no significant increase in blood sugar.

Soluble fiber helps delay gastric emptying, which is the time it takes for a meal to enter the small intestine, and a study indicated that this delay may help lower blood glucose levels after meals, especially for people with type 2 diabetes.

Another study suggests that eating more soluble fiber may help reduce insulin resistance in women.

3. Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting focuses on the timing of meals rather than on the diet, as after applying intermittent fasting to a number of individuals by restricting calories for 1 to 3 days a week and eating freely on the remaining days, the study found that intermittent fasting helped reduce resistance to insulin, but more research is still needed.

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Dietary supplement that increases insulin sensitivity

According to research, some nutritional supplements help reduce insulin resistance and thus improve people’s insulin sensitivity. Examples of these supplements include:

Probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids

Taking probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids may improve insulin sensitivity, especially in people who are overweight.

A 2014 study investigated the effects of probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids on insulin sensitivity in 60 overweight but otherwise healthy adults.

The researchers reported that taking a probiotic or omega-3 supplement for 6 weeks significantly improved insulin sensitivity when compared to a placebo, and the increase in insulin sensitivity was greater in people who took the two supplements together.

Magnesium supplements

Magnesium supplementation may also be very beneficial for people who want to improve insulin sensitivity, as studies conducted over 4 months found that these supplements led to a significant improvement in insulin resistance in people with and without diabetes.

resveratrol

Resveratrol is a natural compound found in the skin of grapes. It is also available as a dietary supplement. Studies have found that taking resveratrol supplements significantly improves glucose control and insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes.

But scientists haven’t found the same results in people without diabetes, so scientists still need more research.

In the end, low insulin sensitivity is a risk indicator for diabetes, so it is preferable to exercise well, get enough sleep, eat useful foods such as foods rich in unsaturated fats, or even take nutritional supplements, and it is always preferable to consult a doctor when any change in diabetes occurs. blood sugar level