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.
Betsy Campisi, Coach, Troy, NY, USA says
As someone with PTSD and a trauma recovery coach I’ve become interested in this lately as I finally started a weight loss journey. It has only been by fasting to get my insulin levels down that I started to lose weight. Now I try not to eat between meals and fast a lot and have lost 35 pounds in 5 months. I also have fewer mood swings when I am focusing on insulin levels. We should spread the word about this!
Audra Meier, Teacher, Minneapolis, MN, USA says
Eating “too many carbs” or “too much sugar” does not directly cause diabetes or insulin resistance. I think you need to do a little more research here. Could it contribute? Possibly. However, correlation does not equal causation here.
Betsy Campisi, Coach, Troy, NY, USA says
It’s about insulin levels and insulin resistance. If you constantly eat carbs all day in trying to bring down the sympathetic stress response (yes it works on that level), your levels of insulin will rise and you will eventually become resistant, and then diabetic. Protein and, especially, fat, do NOT do that. So, I think more research is warranted on your end, especially if you feel triggered by something at violates previous dogma. Look at the YouTube channel by Dr. Mindy Pelz for one.
Thama Logan, Clergy, Columbus, Ohio, OH, USA says
I’m always impressed with the depth/ simplicity of your Infographics. They are easy to understand and are very useful when considering patient care and symptoms. Thank you.
Blessings,
Thama Logan