Learn Why High Insulin is the Largest Physical Factor for Most Diseases

October 22, 2003

http://www.mercola.com/2003/oct/22/high_insulin.htm

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

with Rachael Droege

The information in this article is from the most current summary of insulin's

effects on your health written by one of the world's top researchers in

paleolithic nutrition, Dr. Loren Cordain. He attended my recent lecture in

Portland and I had a chance to meet with him and he shared this article with me.

The link at the end of this article will take you to the entire 18-page study

(PDF).

Insulin resistance, a condition in which people lose their sensitivity to

insulin, which results in excess blood sugar, and hyperinsulinemia have been

associated with a host of diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood

pressure, heart disease and cancer for some time, but now emerging research

suggests that the related disease extend far beyond these.

Diseases of insulin resistance represent far and away the major health problems

not only in the United States but in all of Western civilization. The chronic

illnesses like heart disease, which represents over 40 percent of all U.S.

deaths, and obesity, which kills close to 300,000 Americans each year, are

virtually non-existent in less Westernized societies that still follow their

traditional diet.

The increase in insulin-related diseases is largely dependent on the substantial

addition of sugar and carbohydrates to the typical American diet. Although

refined sugars and cereals are common foods in current societies, they were

eaten sparingly or not at all in the 17th and 18th centuries and only started to

become available after the industrial revolution.

In fact, from 1909 to 1999 the U.S. per capita sugar consumption increased some

64 percent. Fiber consumption decreased during this time, and while carbohydrate

consumption remained relatively stable, the type of carbohydrate consumed

changed. Refined cereals, which were not consumed only 200 years ago, now make

up over 85 percent of all U.S. grain consumption.

This increase in sugar and refined carbs has caused a host of problems. Some

that are often overlooked are the increased height and earlier age of

menstruation among today’s population. A number of studies have conclusively

linked these phenomena to the amount of sucrose consumed. The amount of sugar

consumed also appears strongly related to the need to wear glasses for myopic

vision, and the scourge of youths, acne, also appears clearly related to grain

and sugar consumption. Interestingly, another skin problem, skin tags, appears

to be related to insulin resistance as well. Many patients have asked me what

caused them and up until reading this article I had no idea that they were

related to grains and sugars, but I am certainly not surprised.

So what can you do to ensure that you don’t fall victim to insulin resistance or

one of its related disease? A great first step is to check out my nutrition plan

and then read The No-Grain Diet, which will explain the dangers of grains and

sugar in detail and provide you with an easy-to-follow plan to keep your diet

healthy, delicious and grain-free. Along with a healthy diet, exercise is also

key to controlling your blood sugar levels and reaching optimal health.

For more information on insulin’s effects on health, be sure to read Dr.

Rosedale's classic and highly informative insulin lecture.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 136 (2003) 95-112 (PDF, Full

Journal Article) click below.

http://thepaleodiet.com/articles/Hyperinsulinemic%20Diseases%20Final.pdf

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Learn Why High Insulin is the Largest Physical Factor for Most Diseases

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