Let me start by prefacing that insulin has a bad rap. This is likely due to the fact that insulin resistance is connected to type II diabetes and obesity. The assumption then, made by many, is that insulin is bad. But in fact, insulin is an important hormone within our body.
What is insulin?
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. When it is released from the pancreas into the bloodstream, it reaches different parts of the body, where it is responsible for controlling carbohydrates, allowing your body to use glucose for energy – the main energy source used by our cells.
How does insulin work?
When you eat a sandwich, the digestive enzymes and bile in your mouth and gastrointestinal tract break down the components of the sandwich. The bread is converted into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream via the small intestine. If the bread is a white refined grain, it causes a sharp blood sugar spike – because the glucose doesn’t take long to be converted into glucose and your blood sugar levels increase.
When your blood glucose levels spike, it prompts an insulin response. The pancreas releases insulin, which signals to all the cells in your body to open up their gates and intake some of the glucose that is being transported in your bloodstream. When your blood glucose levels come back to baseline, glucose may be released from your cells to provide energy.
So why does insulin have a bad rap?
If you eat too much, particularly too much sugar and refined carbohydrates (as per the standard American diet!) you can become resistant to the effects of insulin. So what this looks like is this: when you eat a sandwich, your blood glucose level increases and insulin is released, but your cells aren’t listening to its signal. They aren’t uptaking glucose and so your blood glucose level stays high. Your pancreas has to produce more insulin to have the standard effect, to get your cells to listen!
Over time, insulin resistance leads to weight gain, obesity and type II diabetes, both increasing your mortality risk and impacting your quality of life. That’s why insulin has a bad rap.
But it’s not all bad.
What else does insulin do?
Insulin is an anabolic (storage) hormone that also promotes the protein synthesis of skeletal muscle and fat tissue through the tyrosine kinase receptor pathway. This increases muscle amino acid availability and supports muscle growth, which is appealing for those trying to build muscle.
It can also increase stamina and endurance as it encourages the loading of glycogen in muscle cells, so that during exercise, the muscles have access to a plentiful supply of energy.
Plus, insulin has been shown in research to modulate brain concentrations of several neurotransmitters and other cognitive functions like memory. When insulin functions properly, it is neuroprotective, meaning it can help prevent neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.
So it’s safe to say insulin has a bad rap, but it’s just another hormone in the body that is absolutely critical for normal functioning. If your insulin hormone is out of whack, you’ll be gaining weight and experiencing energy dips, so always get your insulin sensitivity checked if you think this may be the case.
Meet Emilina
Emilina is a clinically trained nutritionist turned health writer who has worked with top health and wellness brands including the National Football League (NFL), Muscle & Strength, Breaking Muscle as well as manages written content for many professional athletes. She currently lives in Orange County, California.
More about Emilina