MD Weight Loss Health Blog

What do sweets, starches, triglycerides, lipoprotein lipase, weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes all have in common? The short answer is insulin. In one way or another, insulin plays a crucial role in the normal function, dysfunction, or pathogenesis (cause of disease) of each one of them. Most people think of insulin as a perfectly innocent protein that performs a vital function in controlling a person's glucose levels......and it does indeed do that. But by way of insulin, we also convert excess glucose to triglycerides and deposit it in fat cells by way of lipoprotein lipase, and gain weight, increase our risk of heart disease, and eventually develop diabetes. Our goal should be to lower our insulin levels.

What dietary change has the greatest positive effect on insulin levels? Reducing carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates come in 2 main categories: simple carbohydrates (sugars) and complex carbohydrates (starches). By reducing our intake of this macronutrient, we can reduce our insulin levels and end up losing weight. There are two great books on the subject that I highly recommend: "The New Atkins for a New You", and "Why We Get Fat, and What To Do About It" by Gary Taube.