Obesity - Insulin Receptors, Hormones, Hyperinsulinemia
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Obesity - Insulin Receptors, Hormones, Hyperinsulinemia
Reprinted by permission from Bill Faloon of the Life Extension FoundationThere are several hormones that impact how many ingested calories are stored as body fat. If any of these hormones are out of balance, a person can gain weight even though they may eat less food. One hormone that exerts a significant effect on hunger and fat storage is insulin which can be related to obesity.
Insulin is produced by beta cells in the pancreas mainly in response to high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Insulin enables the liver to store excess serum glucose. Insulin also stimulates the liver to form fatty acids that are transported to adipose cells and stored as fat. The net effect of insulin is the storage of carbohydrate, protein, and fat in the body.
A poor diet can induce the pancreas to secrete large amounts of insulin. Aging people also experience metabolic disorders that cause the hyper-secretion of insulin. Eventually the cells in the body become resistant to insulin (by decreasing the number of insulin receptors).
As cells become insulin resistant, the body stabilizes blood glucose by producing higher levels of insulin. The effect of high insulin production is weight gain. The long-term result is often Type II diabetes in which blood glucose levels become unstable even though insulin levels remain dangerously high.
As people accumulate excess body fat, they develop a chronic condition known as hyperinsulinemia, meaning the pancreas constantly secretes too much insulin and the body is unable to effectively utilize it.
