Fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, and garlic are a few herbs and spices that have had potential outcomes for improving insulin sensitivity. According to studies, cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity by making muscle cells' glucose receptors more accessible and effective at delivering sugar to the molecules.
Many herbs are beneficial in insulin resistance, including bitter melon, goat's rue, and gymnema. A professional naturopath or herbalist should prescribe herbal medicine.
If you have insulin resistance, you may be able to reduce or even reverse it by adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Insulin resistance occurs when cells in your body do not respond well to insulin.
Physical activity reverses many insulin resistance risk factors and improves insulin sensitivity. Aerobic (cardio) and resistance training (strength) are equally important. Some studies suggest that doing both types of exercise provide greater benefits than doing either one alone.
Another study tied higher vitamin D to a lower risk of insulin resistance, when the body is unable to respond to or use the insulin that it's producing. Researchers found that the chance of developing insulin resistance went down with each additional amount of vitamin D supplement taken.
While it may not be possible to defeat insulin resistance entirely, there are ways to make the body's cells more receptive to insulin. Getting active is probably the best way to combat insulin resistance. Exercise can dramatically reduce insulin resistance in both the short and long terms.
Chromium, Magnesium, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Berberine, Cinnamon, Fish Oil and Vitamin D are seven powerful supplements that can help manage insulin resistance. Each of these supplements offers distinct benefits and mechanisms of action in promoting insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and overall metabolic health.
Among them are weight loss, exercise, glucose-lowering medication, and changes in food choices or eating habits. Tom says exercise is the most effective tool. Exercise helps by reducing body fat, which makes cells less resistant to insulin, and by building muscle, which helps the body use insulin more efficiently.
The researchers found that in people at high risk of diabetes, including those with prediabetes, magnesium supplements significantly improved fasting blood glucose. Magnesium supplements also significantly reduced insulin resistance and improved the glucose response to the two-hour glucose load tests.
Research also indicates that ACV increases insulin resistance after a high-carbohydrate meal by improving insulin sensitivity, which can prevent blood sugar spikes after eating. Human studies have shown that ACV delays gastric emptying, also preventing blood sugar spikes, when given with a starchy meal.
A minimum initial prolonged fast of 36 hours to 3 days may be needed to start the process of reversing insulin resistance. For morbidly obese patients Fung uses initial fasts of 7 to 21 days. The longest known medically supervised fast is over 1 year in a male weighing more than 460 lbs.
Foods to avoid for insulin resistance
Foods like these increase your risk of a blood sugar spike: soda, juice, and sweet tea. refined grains, including white rice, white bread, and cereal with added sugar. ultra-processed snack foods like candy, cookies, cakes, and chips.
Most studies show that the best herb for diabetes is barberry. Barberry has a compound called berberine that has decreased blood sugar and hba1c. Barberry also has other benefits like being nutrient-dense and anti-diarrhea properties.
Furthermore, zinc deficiency may predispose glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease [4-6]. Recent studies have revealed that zinc had beneficial effects on insulin resistance and on glucose and lipid profiles in patients with diabetes or metabolic syndrome [7-10].
Vanadium supplements may lead to a slight increase in sensitivity to insulin, and may therefore allow diabetic patients to decrease the amount of insulin that they need to keep their blood sugar levels under control. Studies on both animals and humans have proved links between vanadium levels and normal blood glucose.
Experts believe obesity, especially too much fat in the abdomen and around the organs, called visceral fat, is a main cause of insulin resistance. A waist measurement of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women is linked to insulin resistance.
A Vicious Cycle
This fat (also called visceral fat) is especially dangerous because it causes the liver and other organs to become fatty and inflamed. Visceral fat also causes Insulin Resistance, so it becomes a “chicken and the egg” situation since Insulin Resistance also causes this belly fat to accumulate.
The majority of the available research demonstrates that intermittent fasting is effective at reducing body weight, decreasing fasting glucose, decreasing fasting insulin, reducing insulin resistance, decreasing levels of leptin, and increasing levels of adiponectin.
Ashwagandha is well known for reducing blood sugar to normal levels by boosting insulin synthesis and sensitivity, particularly during fasting and after meals. Ashwagandha is helpful for people with diabetes since it promotes the release of more insulin and increases the sensitivity of muscle cells to insulin.
You'll need to get a blood test that checks your blood sugar levels. Likewise, you won't know if you have most of the other conditions that are part of insulin resistance syndrome (high blood pressure, low "good" cholesterol levels, and high triglycerides) without seeing your doctor.
There are some signs of insulin resistance that your doctor may look for. These includes a waistline over 40 inches in men, and a waistline over 35 inches in women. Skin tags or patches of dark velvety skin called acanthosis nigricans. A blood pressure reading of 130 over 80 or higher.