How to Reduce the Amount of Insulin You Need

Diabetics require insulin to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high, but having too much insulin can be just as harmful. Excess insulin leads to weight gain by triggering your brain to tell you that you are hungry, causing your liver to make fat from extra calories, and causing fat to enter fat cells. It also causes clots, raising triglycerides, and lowering the "good" HDL cholesterol, which, in turn, can lead to stroke or heart attack. Insulin promotes oxidation that converts the "bad" LDL cholesterol to oxidized LDL that forms plaques in arteries. High levels of insulin cause your kidneys to retain salt and raise blood pressure. Some natural ways to lower insulin include exercising at least 30 minutes every day, as well as controlling weight through the restriction of foods made with flour or added sugars, and eating fruits and high fiber vegetables with other foods to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high. Stress management also plays a role in reducing insulin amounts since higher stress levels release adrenaline, therefore, mobilizing the sugar from your body reserves. Ensuring a minimum of eight hours of sleep each night, as well as relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation, can help manage stress levels and keep blood sugar low.

There is some evidence that drugs which increase insulin sensitivity, such as the glitazones and metformin, should help reduce your insulin requirements. The glitazones may drastically lower the amount of insulin needed to control blood sugar, but this is at the expense of gaining weight, and long term effects have yet to be determined. By sensitizing liver, muscle, and adipose tissue, glitazones lower postprandial and fasting glucose levels while decreasing free fatty acid and insulin concentrations. However, there are risks associated with these medications. Major concerns about possible cardiovascular damage arose with the results of recently published studies reporting a significantly increased risk of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and even death. Also, be aware that glitazones are not licensed for use in every country because of the risk of fluid retention, so this treatment may not be a viable option.

Metformin is another way to reduce the amount of insulin needed to control blood glucose levels, although it has proven to be less effective than the glitazones. It reduces insulin levels by lowering the amount of glucose released from the liver and it also makes your body more sensitive to insulin, so less can be produced. This method may have the potential to reduce cardiovascular risk in patients, and also carries the advantage of reducing weight gain associated with insulin therapy. If your doctor prescribes metformin, you need to take it before your two main meals, which is typically breakfast and dinner, beginning at a very low dose and gradually increasing the dosage you take over several months. Doctors recommended taking a multivitamin every day while taking metformin as it can decrease your digestion of certain vitamins, such as B12 and folate.

Healthy young people generally do not have many side effects when taking metformin. However, those with kidney or liver problems should vie for a more natural treatment. About one- third of people who take metformin have stomach discomfort, nausea, or diarrhea. If the side effects prove to be a problem, you can lower your dose by half a pill for a few days before going back up to the regular dose. If you discontinue metformin for a few days, it is important to restart the medication at a low dose and gradually build up to your regular dose to ensure less side effects.

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