How insulin resistance can contribute to mental and physical health problems
What if a client’s fatigue, changes in mood, or memory concerns had something to do with how their cells respond to insulin?
We’ve long associated insulin resistance with diabetes and heart disease . . .
. . . but researchers are now uncovering connections to brain and mental health conditions, including depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
This infographic walks through what insulin resistance actually is, how it develops, and why it might matter more for a client’s mental health than you’d expect.
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How insulin resistance can contribute to mental and physical health problems
— Adapted from Mariela Glandt, MD —
When we eat, the pancreas releases insulin.
Insulin is a “storage and growth” signal. It helps the body use and store the nutrients from food.
-It helps move glucose from the blood into cells to give you energy.
-It helps store fat and slows down fat burning.
-It helps build and maintain muscle.
When insulin stays high too often (from frequent eating, too much sugar or too many carbs, inactivity, etc.) cells can become less responsive to insulin.
The stress hormone, cortisol, can also inhibit insulin’s messages.
As cells respond less to insulin, the pancreas produces more insulin to compensate. Over time, this can interfere with how the body uses and stores energy from food.
Insulin resistance can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and heart disease, and it has been linked to depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
So what can reduce insulin resistance?
A healthy diet, exercise, good-quality sleep, and reducing stress can help improve insulin sensitivity.
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Fatigue is very often treated as a mental health symptom on its own.
But as you see in this infographic, sometimes it starts somewhere else. Sometimes, it begins with cells that have simply stopped responding to insulin’s signal.
I’ll be sharing more on this connection in the weeks ahead.
But for now, I’d like to hear from you. How have you worked with a client whose mood or energy seemed to be connected to things like diet and sleep?
Please share in the comments below.
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