Insulin and Metabolic Disease

ABOVE RIGHT–Following WWII, rates of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes continued their upward trend. Our government attempted to lower these disease rates, beginning in the late 1970’s. The full effect (and failure) of that effort can be seen in this National Institutes of Health graph of childhood obesity, beginning in 1980. Following new U.S.D.A. recommendations, food processors replaced saturated fat with high omega-6 polyunsaturated fat (vegetable oil); then they sweetened their products with more calories from highly-refined grain, sugar, and they added more emulsifiers.

In 1990, scientists discovered the deadly side of trans-fats, but it took over a decade to get them (mostly) removed from the U.S. food system. The unique metabolic fate of the fructose-half of “added sugar” (sucrose) was not understood until 1985: 100-percent in the liver, an organ with hundreds of vital functions.

This page looks at the meaning of metabolic disease. “Diseases” (symptoms) of dysfunctional metabolism include our leading killers: type-2 diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, dementia, vascular diseases and auto-immune disorders. Our many drugs may treat the symptoms, but not the underlying cause. What does street the actual disease is no surprise: Real food, stress-reduction, healthy sleep, and physical activity.

Our catastrophic rates of chronic diseases are not only about bodily health. The disease also impacts our behavior, changing who we are and what we choose, moment to moment. The familiar saying “you are what you eat” has a cognitive and behavioral corollary. We think, feel, and act-out what we eat.

Always feeling hungry?

Keep reading. Below is the backstory on five ridiculously important work-horse hormones involved your everyday behavior and hunger. They are: insulin, cortisol, adrenaline, leptin, and gherlin. Feeling hungry soon after a meal is a sign that everything not OK. There might also be weight gain and poorly controlled blood sugar. From research on addiction, we’ve learned that spiking your blood sugar with high-calorie snacks and meals through the day increase the body’s addictive urge through the dopamine signal.

Endocrinology is a complex area of biology and I’m no master, so we’ll keep it basic. We begin with insulin.

Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas can’t make insulin. Scientists first used purified insulin harvested from animal pancreas tissue and treated type-1 diabetes in 1921. It instantly saved the lives of children and young adults who literally awaited a miracle. Back then, type-2 diabetes was extremely rare (as was type-1). Clean injectable insulin—all harvested from animal pancreases—was an amazing science triumph. Some of these early recipients, children or young adults, lived into their 70s and would self-inject insulin over 60,000 times during their lives.[i]

• In recent months, I have made several health presentations to high school students. About 70-percent of kids know someone with “diabetes.” In the 1960’s and 1970’s, when I was a student, few kids wouldn’t know anyone with this metabolic disease

• Given the current national rates of type-2 diabetes (29% diabetic; 12% pre-diabetic), around 30-percent to 40-percent of the graduating class of 2025 will become type-2 diabetic and lead shorter lives because of a metabolic problem.

 Type-2 diabetes and other metabolic problems often go hand in hand with excess weight and unhealthy SAD eating.  Uncontrolled blood sugar is the glaring symptom, but not the underlying problem (discussed below):

Importantly, irrespective of source, the body will convert the calories in excess of daily needs into fat particles. These can circulate in the blood stream (triglycerides) and “jam-up” insulin’s proper function in cells (described above). So, fat is not only an expanding waistline. The same fat interferes with proper cell function — and that’s not all.

The body’s inability to regulate blood sugar is a central factor in diseased arteries — for generations the greatest killers in “western” nations: heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia, peripheral artery disease (amputation, blindness, aneurism), kidney problems, etc. For type-2 diabetic people, the most likely cause of future death is a vascular problem.

As with any factor of health, individuals differ in their response to triglycerides and insulin, but strictly speaking “sugar” is not the problem. The metabolic problem is that the cells of the body can’t manage the sugar! Insulin receptors jammed-up; cell membranes unable to properly transport glucose from the blood stream into the cell where it is converted to Life Energy (ATP). This is often central to what we call “chronic disease.” 

A dysfunction insulin system directly elevates risks for: type-2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, dementia, auto-immune disease, chronic stress, gut-health problems, cancer, and more.

[i] The Discovery of Insulin

At Left — A Rubics cube illustrates the problem created by finely grinding. The surface of the typical Rubics cube is three-times less than is the surface area of its 27 component cubes (216 sq. cm vs. 648 sq. cm). For flour or other starchy foods, by grinding we vastly increase the digestible surface area for enzymes to get to work.

Finely milled white flour is about 95-percent of all the wheat consumed in the U.S. and central to our pandemic of metabolic disease. When we focus instead on eating whole grains — rolled/steel-cut oats, wheat-berries/groats, corn, quinoa, and brown rice — we slow the digestion, lower the blood sugar spikes and the risks of obesity and type-2 diabetes.

Refined Fructose: Low-Glycemic, Dose Dependent Liver Toxin

The sweetest caloric sweetener is fructose. Making a super-sweet birthday cake? Fructose plays a staring role!  Fructose, however, is LOW GLYCEMIC: a) it’s not glucose; and b) it induces only about one-fifth the total insulin release of glucose. Because of its sweet allure and hazard to the liver, where it all gets metabolized, the refined fructose in “added sugar” is tough on the body.

The page Carbohydrates and Health describes the liver/fructose problem more fully—like cranking out triglycerides and fattening the liver and making fat to disable other nearby organs (belly fat). Shortly, we discuss how the downstream impacts of spiking glucose and excessive fructose accelerate aging.

The Tiger Scenario

Right over there by those trees is a tiger, let’s suppose. It’s stalking your sheep and getting closer. You respond quickly with ramped-up anxiety.

Yelling and screaming you awakening your pappa, and nature’s, “fight or flight” reaction is rolling big-time. The brain triggers hormones and the nervous system jumps to attention. The same reaction occurs in warfare. Whether its tigers, enemy fire, domestic violence, non-stop caregiving, or unpaid bills—unremitting stress is extremely unhealthy. Below we consider two stress-scenarios, one normal and the other maladaptive and chronic.

Normal Fight-Flight Stress:

The brain fires your adrenal glands, one perched atop each of your kidneys. The hormones adrenaline and cortisol are produced instantly and the body is preparing for action — making “fight-flight” energy available, boosting attention and anxiety, and shutting down non-essential functions.

Adrenaline constricts blood vessels, increases alertness — shuts down digestion — and allows fat cells to release their energy content into the blood. Cortisol induces the liver to release glucose and the pancreas releases more insulin. A cascade effect of hormones and neurotransmitters makes stored starch and fat-energy ready for instant use.

The “tiger trouble” finally subsides, fight-flight signals diminish, and we chill out.

Chronic Stress — and Neuropeptide-Y:

Unfortunately, our commercial culture provides a modern mismatch—high-calorie food on every street corner. Today, a response to elevated anxiety routinely involves the U-turn and a reward of comfort food. Highly refined, calorie-dense, nutrient-stripped “food” addresses our immediate need for a dopamine/serotonin hit: respectively, reward, happiness — and addiction.When stress becomes an everyday event — the job you hate, domestic violence, the micro-aggressions of racism, or mounting bills — something changes. After days in stress-mode, the nervous system chronically overstimulated, there is a profound change. The unremitting release of adrenaline will permanently damage the nervous system (Think P.T.S.D.). Introducing the molecule Neuropeptide-Y (NPY).

During chronic stress, neuropeptide-Y acts as a governor and puts the brakes on the adrenal system. By throttling back adrenaline, NPY protects the nervous system — but it also prevents the release of fat into the blood stream. Fat cells become hyper-savers and can start producing toxins, inflammation, and more damaging free radicals.[i]

The upshot is that under chronic stress, the body readily stores fat (triglycerides) in the liver and viscera (belly fat), the two worst places. Folks living with chronic stress find it very challenging to maintain a healthy weight. Diagnoses of metabolic disease, depression and other mental health problems, gut-health challenges, and chronic stress are very clearly linked.

[i] Robert Lustig, Emery Pharma Podcast: Episode #1—Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Rates of chronic stress are sky-high everywhere, but highest among minority people. Experiencing discrimination day after day is a stressful existence; Not surprisingly, minorities also experience the highest rates of chronic disease: diabetes, obesity, cancer, auto-immune problems, dementia, and so forth. A few complications of chronic stress include:

• Artificial “hunger” and recreational eating of calorie-dense foods for reward/comfort
• Fat accumulation in the belly and liver and systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and excessive glycation
• Elevated blood-sugar, triglycerides and insulin resistance
• The likelihood of mental health problems like depression, anxiety, bipolar, ADHD, etc.

Figure:  Proven ways to lower stress. Reducing stress permanently requires that we modify lifestyle factors, ideally before a disease diagnoses and Disease-Care, Inc. get involved.

When calories are burned in the presence of oxygen our cells produces these unstable atoms (ions) we call free radicals. They are a fact of being alive! When foods are “Real,” whole, not refined, and contain ample whole plants, they are naturally lower in calories and produce fewer free-radicals. Our cells manage these natural levels beautifully.

High-calorie, “hard-to-eat-just-one,” processed foods yield excessive free radicals (oxidative stress). Cells can become overwhelmed and the damage can include gene mutation — meaning the early initiation-phase of cancer.[1]

In a sense, cells become etched, chronically inflamed, and quite working properly, but they don’t always die young. Chronic disease disrupts natural cell-death and replacement (apoptosis) so the damaged cells can linger on, functioning poorly, and supporting the diseased state.

Remember, ALL calories produce free radicals: unavoidable! So to, the subject pops up several times on this website. For example, under Fats, Oils and Health Why? Because a dietary pattern low in fat and high in whole plant fiber will produce vastly fewer and prevent oxidative stress. 

Oxidative Stress and Vascular Disease 

The vascular diseases have been the leading causes of death in the U.S. and Europe for generations. Diseases like: coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, vascular dementia, stroke, and so forth.  Arterial vascular diseases (atherosclerosis) illustrate the dangers of oxidative stress quite nicely.

Excessive free radicals cause your “bad” LDL-cholesterol to become oxidized and stickier. At the same time, high-calorie eating elevates blood-sugar, insulin, and triglycerides[1].

Arteries and capillaries are receiving quadrillions of atomic-scale injuries. Now, toss in some TMAO (discussed in Animal Products and Health) from excessive red meat and processed meat (the worst), and the pattern for higher risk of vascular disease is established. The damage to the blood vessels and the interior of cells (and specifically the cell’s power plants) leads to a spiral of disfunction. Damaged cells can’t repair or replace themselves properly. DNA Repair-Shop: closed until lifestyle modification

We die of disease, never “old age.” Our body was not designed to reach its natural health span while metabolizing excessive, daily, energy-dense food calories, but especially where there is a lack of plant-based fiber and antioxidants. Calorie-dense living, chronic stress, and persistently excessive insulin go hand-in-hand with inflammation and oxidative stress. Our cells simply are not equipped to do their jobs under the conditions of addictive/habitual, highly-processed foods.

Over years, plaques form, blood vessels narrow, and become more stiff (hypertension). “Lesions” of atherosclerotic plaque narrow and clog arteries. [1] The dangerous “small-dense LDL-cholesterol” (about 1/5 of your LDL) is the nasty, dangerous stuff.

We eliminate this major factor of disease by restricting sugar, bread and refined carbs — which lowers insulin and triglycerides. Your triglyceride number in the fasting state is closely linked to your small-dense LDL-cholesterol — the bad stuff.

For a wonderful overview, see the interview with Dr. Robert H. Lustig: “Levels” w/ Dr. Casey Means—Understanding Your Cholesterol Panel

Researcher studied associations between various types of animal products and cardio-vascular disease in older individuals. The 2022, peer-reviewed report involved 3921 adults age 65+ with an average follow-up was 12.2 years. What did they find out?

RIGHT—The table shows the relative importance of various “mediating” factors (correlations) associated with developing cardiovascular disease. This result offers clarity as to the danger of the Standard American Diet (32-percent animal products and 57-percent highly processed plant foods). Specifically, it shows the importance of:

• Maintaining healthy control of blood sugar and the insulin system
• Favoring non-inflammatory (whole plant) food, instead of highly-processed
• Avoiding high sources of TMAO (red and processed meat).

Researcher found no significant correlation between the intake of poultry, eggs, or fish and cardiovascular “events.”

Glycation further stiffens blood vessels and is a core factor when fatty liver becomes liver sclerosis — with or without alcohol involved. Chemists call it the Maillard reaction and you can observe it in a frying pan. Add some flour to beef or turkey drippings and stir. It will thicken and turn brown, as proteins combine with sugars.

Metabolic Disease vs. Healthy Obese

 An estimated twenty-percent of people carrying extra weight have healthy metabolism. They might carry the fat lower on the body, under the skin. “Heathy-obese” would mean normal insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function, with a footnote.[1]

The remaining roughly eighty-percent of overweight people would have elevated insulin and cellular “resistance”.[i] Excessive weight goes hand-in-hand with type 2 and type 3 diabetes[2] (Alzheimer’s disease/dementia) [ii].In The Obesity Code (2016), obesity and diabetes treatment specialist, Jason Fung, M.D. notes these can all be considered progressive stages of the same metabolic problem, which he calls “diabesity.” Those who have a metabolic problem also have higher cancer risk and are less likely to survive it. The disease-care industry does a smashing trade in pills, procedures, prosthetics, and maintenance services, large brick-and-mortar centers to treatment a diseases of lifestyle.

[1] “Normal metabolism” does not mean optimal health.

[2] The Mayo Clinic is now recognizing dementia as a form of diabetes they call “type-3.”

[i] Metabolical—pg. 32

[ii] The Diabetes Code

The modern health, stress, and food rackets have strong foundations and powerful corporate lobbying and influence. They monetize unhealthy food, stress elevators, and sleep robbers. Downstream are fatty liver, vascular disease, heart disease/stroke, kidney disease, peripheral arterial disease, amputation, aneurism, much higher risks for cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Visualize the colossal expense and the arsenal of prescriptions and procedures aimed at “treatment.” Drugs can’t enter the interior mitochondria of cells—where the body converts food energy into most of its ATP.[iii] Treating the pathology — while elevating vitality and disease-fighting at the same time — is the work of: nutritious food, a body-active routine, healthy sleep, and practicing stress reduction.

Our Unsustainable New Normal 

Alaska has a huge coastline sparsely dotted with remote communities. In recent years, the Alaska Marine Highway System, the state’s network of ferries, replaced several elderly vessels with two new sister-ships: the M/V Hubbard and the M/V Tazlina.

Of course, cost savings were very important to the state’s marine highway system. In 2025, by design, riders see mostly unhealthy food options served aboard these otherwise fantastic new vessels. Nutritious meal-planning was chopped in the design phase, but each vessel costs the state about $60 million. By all means, pack a big lunch, or it will be mostly pre-packaged junkola.

Now, imagine this a multi-million-dollar state-run enterprise, one funded (in theory) to serve the wellbeing of coastal communities, designed with no significant capacity to serve Real food to its passengers on long voyages. That’s the “new normal” for Alaska ferries. Alaska’s ferries illustrate the concept of institutional capture. An entire division of Alaska’s state government, beholding to, and incapable of operating without, the Colossus—the Standard American Diet. Aboard our new ferries Tazlina and Hubbard, the SAD hums along like the engines — part of the background noise and now “normal” for coastal Alaskans. Those unfortunate organizational decisions add up.

Make the change! Grabbing some fruit or a bag of carrots, instead of the hot-case or deli junk-old. Fill a bottle of water, instead of buying a SSB. Plan your groups’s event with health food, rather than white-flour junk. Tell your community group what you’d like to eat. We can choose to not participate in this maladaptive “new normal.”

In ancient times, our ancestors gained and lost some weight seasonally. It’s entirely abnormal to be constantly overweight and it drives upward the risk for all-cause mortality. Full stop. During my youth (the 1960’s and 1970’s), an overweight child was a rarity.[1] We’ve now normalized this growing economic sector—plus-size clothing, extra-widen wheelchairs, plus-size hospitals, and “specialized services.”

What has not been normalized is the concept of food addiction. The greatest addiction problems are not heroin or alcohol, they are food. One thing I’ve learned in my self-study of U.S. chronic disease, a high percentage of families today are already live with this addiction — but they think it’s normal! They think the deli/hot-case and the pizza for supper is normal. We’d never dream that coffee with a white-flour and chocolate confection and a friend is really about the addiction.

Let’s do the math. If a person eats 200 calories daily that are extra, meaning not required for daily energy needs, in 100 days they have consumed 20,000 extra calories. That will gain you about 5.5 pounds of added weight.

Long ago, sugar was exceedingly rare. “Refined carbs” or bottles of liquid fat simply didn’t exist.  Today, sugar, refined flour products and inflammatory fats and oils are absolutely central to the SAD, chronic disease, and the global economy. Americans consume 30 to 40-fold more sugar than they did in the early 1700’s and white flour wasn’t widely available before 1870.

Today, two-thirds of the “food” on grocery store shelves already has the sugar added. An even higher percentage are formulated with refined flour and inflammatory fat. “Reality” for most means highly processed and nutrient poor. “Hacking the brain, our choices, and damaging the body. That’s the new normal and it’s a catastrophe..

I wish all who read this “safe traveling.” May you find health and long life! Individually, we can indeed change. As a nation, maybe we’re screwed.