When you think of insulin resistance – the inability of your cells to use blood sugar for fuel – the first condition that comes to mind is probably diabetes. After all, it is one of the earliest warning signs of this common disease. Emerging research indicates, however, that the threat of insulin resistance may reach further than once thought – revealing surprising links to the metabolic syndrome, cognitive decline and depression plus colon, breast and kidney health and more.1-3
The recently-discovered culprit behind this deadly connection: excessive free radicals (also known as reactive oxygen species, or ROS) – rogue molecules generated by damaged mitochondria, exposure to toxins, stress and even as a natural consequence of aging.
New cell culture studies have shown that higher ROS levels actually trigger insulin resistance, while lower levels cut it in half – comprising the first solid evidence that directly implicates free radicals as an actual cause of this destructive process.4 Human research has confirmed this finding, revealing a significant increase in insulin resistance among subjects with the highest levels of oxidative stress – even after factors like obesity, the metabolic syndrome and impaired fasting glucose were accounted for.5
The takeaway: Managing insulin resistance is not a single-step process. It’s clear that slowing the descent toward full-blown diabetes – not to mention the long list of other complications linked to insulin resistance – requires both superior antioxidant support and blood sugar control.
Animal studies show, for example, that the natural antioxidant n-acetyl cysteine (NAC) inhibits insulin resistance – while the compound curcumin, found in turmeric, delivers similar benefits, while normalizing antioxidant enzyme activity.6-7 Likewise, trials on green tea polyphenols demonstrate that while this powerful antioxidant has no effect on glucose levels, it does trigger dose-dependent insulin declines.8-9 Finally, grape seed extract and rosemary have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar – while bilberry anthocyanins improve the function of your fat cells, which are implicated in the development of insulin resistance.10-12
For daily blood sugar support, look to herbs like goat’s rue (Galega officinalis), which is rich in the compound isoamylene guanidine. Research shows that goat’s rue and its components may improve insulin sensitivity, increase carbohydrate tolerance and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels in mice.13 Similarly, the botanical bitter melon boosts the function of insulin receptors in the liver, and has been proven to improve glucose and insulin tolerance in a number of animal studies.14
According to Richard A. Anderson, PhD, "Cinnamon reduces mean fasting serum glucose (18-29%), TAG [triglycerides] (23-30%), total cholesterol (12-26%) and LDL-cholesterol (7-27%) in subjects with type 2 diabetes after 40 days of daily consumption of 1-6 g cinnamon."15 USDA research has shown that a component of cinnamon, polyphenol A, was especially effective in combination with chromium, a mineral that can curb both insulin resistance and carbohydrate cravings.16
Finally, nutrients such as quercetin and vanadyl sulfate are also key components of a natural product formulation for blood sugar support. While the former is a flavonoid that has been shown to protect against oxidative stress and damage to insulin-producing beta cells, the latter is a mineral that can protect heart health in diabetics and inhibit defective insulin signaling in cases of type 2 diabetes.17-20
All of the natural substances above are found in the products Extension Antioxidant and GluControl – available through VRP – and together comprise a safe, natural two-pronged strategy to staving off insulin resistance and all of the health-robbing consequences that come with it.
References:
1. Jin T. Why diabetes patients are more prone to the development of colon cancer? Med Hypotheses. 2008 May 2. [Epub ahead of print].
2. Goodwin PJ, Ennis M, Bahl M, Fantus IG, Pritchard KI, Trudeau ME, Koo J, Hood N. High insulin levels in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients reflect underlying insulin resistance and are associated with components of the insulin resistance syndrome. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 Apr 25. [Epub ahead of print].
3. Pischon T, NÃ thlings U, Boeing H. Obesity and cancer. Proc Nutr Soc. 2008 May;67(2):128-45.
4. Houstis N, Rosen ED, Lander ES. Reactive oxygen species have a causal role in multiple forms of insulin resistance. Nature. 2006 Apr 13;440(7086):944-8.
5. Meigs JB, Larson MG, Fox CS, Keaney JF Jr, Vasan RS, Benjamin EJ. Association of oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and diabetes risk phenotypes: the Framingham Offspring Study. Diabetes Care. 2007 Oct;30(10):2529-35.
6. Song D, Hutchings S, Pang CC. Chronic N-acetylcysteine prevents fructose-induced insulin resistance and hypertension in rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 2005 Jan 31;508(1-3):205-10.
7. Seo KI, Choi MS, Jung UJ, Kim HJ, Yeo J, Jeon SM, Lee MK. Effect of curcumin supplementation on blood glucose, plasma insulin, and glucose homeostasis related enzyme activities in diabetic db/db mice. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2008 Apr 8. [Epub ahead of print].
8. Serisier S, Leray V, Poudroux W, Magot T, Ouguerram K, Nguyen P. Effects of green tea on insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and expression of PPARalpha and PPARgamma and their target genes in obese dogs. Br J Nutr. 2008 Jun;99(6):1208-16.
9. Cao H, Hininger-Favier I, Kelly MA, Benaraba R, Dawson HD, Coves S, Roussel AM, Anderson RA. Green tea polyphenol extract regulates the expression of genes involved in glucose uptake and insulin signaling in rats fed a high fructose diet. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Jul 25;55(15):6372-8.
10. Tsuda T. Regulation of adipocyte function by anthocyanins; possibility of preventing the metabolic syndrome. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Feb 13;56(3):642-6.
11. Preuss HG, Montamarry S, Echard B, Scheckenbach R, Bagchi D. Long-term effects of chromium, grape seed extract, and zinc on various metabolic parameters of rats. Mol Cell Biochem. 2001 Jul;223(1-2):95-102.
12. Rau O, Wurglics M, Paulke A, Zitzkowski J, Meindl N, Bock A, Dingermann T, Abdel-Tawab M, Schubert-Zsilavecz M. Carnosic acid and carnosol, phenolic diterpene compounds of the labiate herbs rosemary and sage, are activators of the human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma. Planta Med. 2006 Aug;72(10):881-7.
13. Palit P, Furman BL, Gray I. Novel weight-reducing activity of Galega officinalis in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1999;51:1313-1319.
14. Nerurkar PV, Lee YK, Motosue M, Adeli K, Nerurkar VR. Momordica charantia (bitter melon) reduces plasma apolipoprotein B-100 and increases hepatic insulin receptor substrate and phosphoinositide-3 kinase interactions. Br J Nutr. 2008 Mar 5;1-9. [Epub ahead of print].
15. Anderson RA. Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity. Proc Nutr Soc. 2008 Feb;67(1):48-53.
16. Andersom RA, Broadhurst CL, Ploansky MM, Schmidt WF, Khan A, Flanagan VP, Schoene NW, Graves DJ. Isolation and characterization of Polyphenol Type-A polymers from Cinnamon with insulin-like biological activity. J Agric Food Chem. 2004; 52:65-70.
17. Kim EK, Kwon KB, Song MY, Han MJ, Lee JH, Lee YR, Lee JH, Ryu DG, Park BH, Park JW. Flavonoids protect against cytokine-induced pancreatic beta-cell damage through suppression of nuclear factor kappaB activation. Pancreas. 2007 Nov;35(4):e1-9.
18. Coskun O, Kanter M, Korkmaz A, Oter S. Quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant, prevents and protects streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress and beta-cell damage in rat pancreas. Pharmacol Res. 2005 Feb;51(2):117-23.
19. Akgà n-Dar K, Bolkent S, Yanardag R, Tunali S. Vanadyl sulfate protects against streptozotocin-induced morphological and biochemical changes in rat aorta. Cell Biochem Funct. 2007 Nov-Dec;25(6):603-9.
20. Halberstam M, Cohen N, Shlimovich P, Rossetti L, Shamoon H. Oral vanadyl sulfate improves insulin sensitivity in NIDDM but not in obese nondiabetic subjects. Diabetes. 1996 May;45(5):659-66
