For most people with type 2 diabetes, getting a handle on weight is all it takes for blood sugar to normalize, complications to fade away, and overall health to rebound. But shedding those extra pounds isn’t easy—especially when many of the conventional treatments used to control blood sugar actually promote weight gain.
One of the worst offenders is insulin. Although it’s generally associated with type 1 diabetes, insulin is used by more than one in four people as a type 2 diabetes treatment. And, in most of those cases, it only makes things worse.
A patient of mine—let’s call him Bill—had type 2 diabetes for 10 years prior to seeking treatment at the Whitaker Wellness Institute. At the time he was diagnosed, Bill’s physician started him on an oral drug that stimulates insulin production. It worked for a while, but his blood sugar—and his weight—slowly began to increase. His doctor responded by upping his dosage. Again, his levels improved for a time, but eventually both his blood sugar and his waistline inched up.
Eventually Bill was no longer able to control his blood sugar with oral drugs, so his doctor prescribed a low dose of insulin. Over the next few years, his insulin dose was periodically ratcheted upward to keep pace with his rising blood sugar levels, and with every increase, he gained more and more weight. When I first saw Bill, he was taking 100 units of insulin daily and had put on 100 pounds!
A Vicious Cycle
Let me explain why patients like Bill find themselves in this predicament. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance. In people with this condition, the beta cells in the pancreas make plenty of insulin—the hormone that moves glucose from the blood into the cells—but the cells are unresponsive to insulin’s actions. This leads to a rise in blood sugar. The pancreas responds by churning out more insulin, and the net result is elevated levels of both glucose and insulin.
Excess weight makes the problem worse. Adipose tissue (fat)—especially in the abdominal area—releases fatty acids that impair beta cell function and insulin sensitivity. It also produces immune cells that lead to chronic, low-grade inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, increases insulin resistance.
Fat cells also secrete hormones, one of them being leptin. Although leptin is best known for its role in regulating appetite and energy metabolism, researchers have discovered that it also has direct effects on insulin secretion and beta cell growth.
As if that weren’t enough, high levels of insulin themselves promote weight gain. That’s because insulin is the body’s primary fat-storage hormone—it ushers fat into the cells as well as glucose. So the higher your insulin level, the greater your potential weight gain.
Lose Weight, Lose Diabetes
The best way to break this cycle is to shed excess weight. For best results, cut out starches, sugars, and other high-glycemic carbohydrates; eat plenty of lean protein, vegetables, and fiber; and take a brisk, 10- to 15-minute walk after every meal. Nutritional supplements that enhance weight loss, help lower blood sugar, and protect against diabetic complications—such as alpha lipoic acid, chromium, cinnamon, and Gymnema sylvestre, to name a few—are also important.
Bill had great success with this natural diabetes treatment. It took several years, but he lost those 100 extra pounds, and he was able to control his blood sugar without any medication at all.
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