Why is insulin needed in the body? Insulin: what is it, mechanism of action, role in the body

We can keep our insulin levels low and live longer, or we can keep our insulin levels high and die young!

When it comes to health and healthy aging, we have a choice.

We can keep our insulin levels low and live longer, or we can keep our insulin levels high and die young!

Less insulin, more life

Insulin is always a "double-edged sword" .

On the one hand, it helps to maintain muscle mass, since it has an anabolic effect and improves the bioavailability of food consumed, and on the other hand, it prevents lipolysis (the use of fatty acids as an energy source).

There is a lot of effort in the health and fitness environment right now to control insulin. But few people truly understand this difficult hormone.

Fasting insulin should be less than 5 mcU / ml and 2 hours after the load of glucose should not rise more than 30 mcU / ml.

The maximum allowable upper norm is 11.5 units, but even doctors say that this condition, called intolerance, indicates the initial stage of diabetes.

Insulin is a hormone released into the bloodstream by beta cells in the pancreas. . Insulin is responsible for energy storage and muscle growth.

Insulin is also called the most anabolic hormone. After insulin enters the bloodstream, its main task is to deliver glucose (carbohydrates), amino acids and fats to cells.

The main job of insulin is to maintain safe and stable glucose levels. near 80-100 mg/dl. When blood glucose levels rise above 100, the pancreas starts producing insulin. Always ready to help, insulin "selects" excess glucose from the blood and sends it to storage.

“Which cells?” you ask.

Well, first of all - in muscle and fat cells.

If nutrients go mainly to the muscles, the muscles respond with growth, and we do not add fat.

If most of the nutrients go to fat cells, muscle mass does not change, but fat becomes more.

Because insulin is responsible for storing stores, most people believe that it should be avoided, otherwise more fat will appear. This makes it an easy target and scapegoat, which is why carbohydrates are so often pilloried as insulin.

The "logic" is something like this: High carb diet = high insulin levels = burning less fat to store it = getting fatter and fatter

And then, as a consequence:

Low Carb Diet = Low Insulin = Burn More Fat Than Stored = Get Leaner

There are several reasons why we consider this a mistake.

First, there is no way to avoid insulin in your blood. If you eat, insulin is released.

Secondly, if you do manage to get rid of insulin, you will also lose all of its anabolic functions and its ability to store nutrients in the muscles.

Insulin is an anabolic hormone.

In fact, it's even more anabolic than growth hormone.. The problem is that he is a promiscuous anabolic and doesn't care if he gains fat or gains muscle mass.

In fact, type 1 diabetics do not produce insulin, resulting in death if they do not receive insulin. Insulin does start fat storage... but it doesn't make you fat!

But insulin is like a woman: sometimes she loves you, sometimes she hates you.

However, in contrast to the behavior of women, we can predict the behavior of insulin quite accurately.

The hormone insulin is vital in small amounts, but deadly in excess.

If you don't keep your insulin levels in check, you can develop diabetes, clogged arteries, serious heart disease, and eventually death.

Considering that 20% of women between the ages of 20 and 45 are on the verge of developing diabetes, it is possible that a similar number of new mothers suffer from a lack of milk due to malfunctioning of the insulin system.

The amount of milk depends largely on the concentration of insulin in their blood - the closer to normal its value, the more milk is produced. It turns out that insulin will act as a kind of key to launching a milk "biofactory" in the breasts of women.

POSITIVE PROPERTIES OF INSULIN

1. Insulin builds muscle.

Insulin stimulates protein synthesis by activating its production by ribosomes. Muscles are made up of proteins (amino acids). Proteins are made by ribosomes. Ribosomes are activated by insulin. Somehow, inexplicably, insulin "turns on" the mechanisms of ribosomes.

In the absence of insulin, the ribosomes simply stop working. Does all this mean that insulin helps build muscle mass? No, it just means the fact that muscle growth requires insulin.

2. Insulin prevents protein catabolism.

Insulin prevents muscle breakdown. While it may not sound very exciting, the anti-catabolic nature of insulin is every bit as important as its anabolic properties.

Any financially savvy person will tell you that it's not just how much money you make that matters. It also matters how much money you spend. The same is true for muscles.

Every day our body synthesizes a certain amount of proteins, and at the same time destroys the old ones. Whether you manage to gain muscle mass over time or not depends on “physiological arithmetic”. To increase muscle, you must synthesize more protein than you break down in the process of catabolism.

3. Insulin transports amino acids to muscle cells.

Insulin actively transports certain amino acids into muscle cells. We're talking about BCAAs. Branched-chain amino acids are "personally" delivered by insulin to muscle cells. And this is very good if you intend to build muscle mass.

4. Insulin activates glycogen synthesis.

Insulin increases enzyme activity (for example, glycogen synthase), which stimulate the formation of glycogen . This is very important as it helps to supply glucose to the muscle cells, thus improving their performance and recovery.

But praying for insulin is also not worth it. If the level of insulin in the blood is constantly at a high level, problems arise.

High insulin levels lead to the accumulation of huge amounts of fat, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

This type of diabetes is characterized by obesity, cardiovascular disease, and a weakened muscle's ability to store nutrients, leading to muscle loss and more fat accumulation. This is called insulin resistance.

NEGATIVE PROPERTIES OF INSULIN

1. Insulin blocks hormone receptor lipase.

Insulin blocks an enzyme called hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which is responsible for breaking down fat tissue. This is obviously bad, because if the body can't break down stored fat (triglycerides) and turn it into a form that can be burned (free fatty acids), you won't lose weight.

On the other hand, dietary fat also suppresses the activity of hormone-sensitive lipase, even though dietary fat does not need insulin to become part of our own body fat. Therefore, you cannot eat as much fat as you want and still lose weight.

2. Insulin reduces fat utilization.

Insulin reduces the use of fat for energy. Instead, it promotes the burning of carbohydrates. Simply put, insulin "stores fat."

Although this has a negative effect on our body image, this action makes sense if we remember that the main function of insulin is to get rid of excess glucose in the blood.

3. Insulin increases the synthesis of fatty acids.

Insulin increases fatty acid synthesis in the liver, which is the first step in the fat storage process. But it also depends on the availability of excess carbohydrates - if their volume exceeds a certain level, they are either immediately burned or stored as glycogen.

Without a doubt, excess insulin is the first cause of elevated levels in the body of triglycerides, fats that were previously considered relatively safe.

Pimples, dandruff and seborrhea.

They did not expect? The higher the insulin - the more intense lipogenesis, the more intense lipogenesis - the higher the level of triglycerides in the blood, the higher the level of triglycerides in the blood - the more "fat" is released through the sebaceous glands located throughout the body, especially on the scalp and face.

We are talking about hyperfunction and hypertrophy of the sebaceous glands under the action of insulin. People with naturally very smooth skin who have never had acne or pimples may not have this side effect of insulin.

In persons with more or less oily skin, with the ability to form acne, insulin can cause severe acne, with hypertrophy of the sebaceous glands and expansion of the skin pores.

Acne in women is often one of the signs of hyperandrogenism, which may be accompanied by hyperinsulinemia and dyslipidemia.

4. Insulin activates lipoprotein lipase.

Insulin activates an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase. If you are familiar with medical terminology, this may at first be perceived as a positive characteristic of insulin. After all, lipase is an enzyme that breaks down fat, so why not increase its volume?

Recall that we just discussed how insulin enhances fatty acid synthesis in the liver. Once these additional fatty acids are converted to triglycerides, they are taken up by lipoproteins (eg VLDL proteins - very low density lipoproteins), released into the blood, and seek a place to store them.

So far so good as the triglycerides cannot be absorbed by the fat cells. So while you may have enough triglycerides in your blood, you won't actually store fat...until lipoprotein lipase comes into play.

Once activated by insulin, lipoprotein lipase breaks down these triglycerides into absorbable fatty acids, which are quickly and easily taken up by fat cells, converted back to triglycerides there, and remain in the fat cells.

5. Insulin promotes the transfer of glucose into fat cells.

Insulin promotes the entry of glucose into fat cells through their fat cell membranes. As you might imagine, storing excess glucose in fat cells does no good.

6. Insulin stimulates the production of LDL cholesterol in the liver.

For cell division it is necessary to form membranes of daughter cells. In turn, one of the mandatory “building” materials for the formation of the membrane is cholesterol .

Insulin stimulates cell division and provides the process with cholesterol by activating the key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, OMG reductase.

On the other hand, insulin is able, through a number of mediators, to inhibit the activity of 7α-hydroxylase, a key enzyme in the synthesis of bile acids.

Thus, on the one hand, insulin increases the synthesis of cholesterol, and on the other hand, it reduces its utilization through bile acids.

In addition, an excess of insulin can stimulate the formation of so-called foam cells, the formation of which precedes atherogenesis.

Interestingly, excess cholesterol activates programmed cell death in the islets of Langengars (apoptosis).

7. Excess insulin destroys arteries.

Insulin causes clogging of the arteries because it stimulates the growth of smooth muscle tissue around the vessels.

Such cell reproduction plays a very important role in the development of atherosclerosis, when there is an accumulation of cholesterol plaques, narrowing of the arteries and a decrease in blood flow.

In addition, insulin interferes with the clot dissolution system by raising the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Thus, the formation of blood clots is stimulated, which clog the arteries.

8. Insulin raises blood pressure.

This information is not new. A scientific study published back in 1998 in the journal Diabetes reported that nearly two-thirds of those with insulin resistance also had high blood pressure.

If you have high blood pressure, there is a 50% chance that you are insulin resistant and have too much insulin in your bloodstream.

Exactly how insulin affects blood pressure is still unknown. There are many opinions on this matter.

One theory is that insulin interferes with the regulation of the kidneys and/or the nervous system, causing blood vessels to constrict and thus raising blood pressure.

Insulin, in turn, is necessary to retain magnesium in cells.

If our insulin receptors weaken and develop resistance to insulin, we are unable to retain magnesium and it leaves our body through urine. Magnesium is essential for muscle relaxation.

If the level of magnesium in the cells is low, then the vessels will be in a tense phase, not relaxing and leading to high blood pressure. Insulin also affects blood pressure by retaining sodium in the blood.

Insulin itself has a direct vasodilating effect. In normal people, the administration of physiological doses of insulin in the absence of hypoglycemia causes vasodilation rather than an increase in blood pressure.

However, under conditions of insulin resistance, hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system leads to the appearance of arterial hypertension due to sympathetic stimulation of the heart, blood vessels and kidneys.

9. Insulin stimulates the growth of cancerous tumors.

Insulin is a growth hormone, and its excess can lead to increased cell reproduction and tumors. Fat people produce more insulin, because it is the excess of insulin that causes obesity, so they are more likely than people with normal weight to develop cancerous tumors.

Tall people also have higher levels of insulin production. (the higher the height, the more insulin), so the risk of getting cancer is higher. These are statistics and well-known facts.

Hyperinsulinemia - as an endogenous (prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome), as well as exogenous (insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes) – increases the risk of developing cancer. Many cancer cells require insulin to grow in vitro.

Women with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a 49% greater chance of breast cancer-related deaths than women without type 2 diabetes.

Insulin may influence the growth of breast cancer through its ability to enhance the proliferation of tumor cells, as well as through its effects on the immune system, steroidogenesis processes, and the synthesis of steroid hormone receptors.

Therefore, the role of hyperinsulinemia in the progression of breast cancer is obvious.

On the other hand, if you reduce the production of insulin in the body, the risk of developing cancerous tumors will also decrease.

In animal experiments, it was found that long, regular breaks in food also reduce the risk of developing cancerous tumors, even if the total number of calories in the diet of animals is not reduced, in other words, after these breaks they are given plenty to eat.

In these experiments, it was found that infrequent meals lead to a steady and permanent decrease in blood insulin levels.

Cases are described when patients with a cancerous tumor were cured by many days of fasting.

10. Hyperinsulinemia stimulates chronic inflammation

Hyperinsulinemia stimulates the formation of arachidonic acid, which is then converted into inflammation-stimulating PG-E2 and the amount of inflammation in the body increases dramatically.

Chronically high insulin levels or hyperinsulinemia also causes low adiponectin levels, and this is a problem as it increases insulin resistance and inflammation .

Adiponectin is an adipose tissue hormone that maintains normal insulin sensitivity, prevents the development of diabetes and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease..

Adiponectin plays an important role in energy regulation, as well as in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, lowering glucose and lipid levels, increasing insulin sensitivity and having anti-inflammatory effects.

In obese people (particularly those with abdominal obesity), the daily secretion of adiponectin during the day was found to be reduced.

Adiponectin protects cells from apoptosis by acting on ceramides.

High levels of ceramides contribute to the development of diabetes by disrupting insulin-induced cell signaling pathways and causing death of pancreatic beta cells.

WE WILL NOT SCARE, BUT WE LIST SOME MORE INCONVENIENCE FROM HYPERINSULINEMIA:

Asthma, bronchitis, inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

Didn't you expect it too?

What do pocket inhalers and asthma medication actually do?

It is known that: expand the capillaries of the bronchi.

And, sorry for the naive question, what narrows them down?

Of course, high insulin levels!

Add to it also glucose - an ideal top dressing for countless bacteria - and here you have otitis media, rhinitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis ...

In the initial stages, especially in children, while degenerative changes in the bronchial mucosa have not yet occurred, asthma disappears at the same moment when insulin levels return to normal.

Impotence.

How?! And the same here...

Do you think that the male organ is lifted by a muscle or a bone?

No. Of course, blood. And how can this blood get through to the organ of love, if insulin has narrowed all the vessels?

Guess how Viagra works? Stimulates the relaxing effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the smooth muscles of the vessels of the penis and improves circulation (flow) of blood (erection mechanism).

The same thing that nitroglycerin does for angina pectoris - relaxes the smooth muscles of the vessels and DILATES the vessels and capillaries. The same as "laughing gas" (nitrous oxide, N2O) in the dentist's office. Wow, and for this stupidity (Viagra) they gave the Nobel Prize in Medicine!

Since we are talking about sex, let's touch on a few more problems associated with hyperinsulinemia.

The first one “scourges” men of all ages - premature orgasm (premature ejaculation), and this is mainly due to an increased threshold of excitability due to high levels of insulin and glucose.

The reverse side of the coin is the absence of orgasms in women and men (even with a full erection) with neuropathy, lowering the sensitivity threshold of nerve endings. This condition is well known in diabetic patients due to the loss of sensation in the extremities due to insulin injections.

Smoking.

Also on insulin?

To some extent, yes.

Carbon dioxide in tobacco smoke and nicotine in cigarettes act on the smooth muscles of blood vessels in the same way as nitric oxide on the male genital organ after Viagra - they relax.

Now you understand why after a hearty meal you want to smoke?

To relax the vessels overflowing with insulin.

Doubt?

Hold your breath for as long as possible, and your body will be filled with warmth.

This is the effect of improving circulation due to a sharp increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood.

So during a heart attack or an attack of angina pectoris, before breathing deeply, you must, on the contrary, hold your breath to relax the blood vessels and ensure blood flow to the heart muscle.

Heart attack, stroke.

Too? And how!

What, you have never seen in the movies, at work or at home - got nervous, fell, died? Most heart attacks and strokes happen after a "healthy" meal.

A lot of insulin, blood vessels constrict, a lot of energy, noise-gum-tra-ta-there, then adrenaline jumps (a stress hormone similar in mechanism of action to insulin, only even more effective) - bam! fell, died...

What happened?

The vessels narrowed so much that the blood flow to the heart muscle or brain was disrupted ... Or a previously damaged vessel (aneurysm rupture) simply bursts, and the unfortunate person instantly drowns in his own blood.

There is no ambulance here...

Alzheimer.

The association of Alzheimer's disease with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders has been repeatedly noted by numerous studies, and Alzheimer's disease is even sometimes called "diabetes of the brain."

However, the nature and causes of the relationship have been much debated and not fully understood, because the disease is found in both excess and deficiency of insulin.

Professor Melissa Schilling of New York University conducted a detailed, integrated analysis of studies linking diabetes to Alzheimer's disease in order to unravel the conflicting data on the role of insulin.

The results of her research were recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Decease.

According to Melissa Schilling, a special insulin-destroying enzyme, IDE, plays a key role in the prevention and initiation of Alzheimer's disease. The main function of this enzyme is to regulate the level of insulin in the body. IDE is able to remove "extra" insulin.

But the same enzyme can also destroy molecules of beta-amyloid, a special protein that makes up plaques in the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease. In fact, this enzyme is the brain's natural defense against harmful substances that lead to the disease, which means that any dysfunction associated with this enzyme can significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

For example, in a chronic lack of insulin (for example, in the absence of adequate treatment for type 1 diabetes), the body does not produce enough IDE, which can lead to the accumulation of beta-amyloid and other harmful proteins in the brain.

But diabetes 1 type is relatively rare, and if left untreated (i.e. insulin injections), patients have little chance of surviving to the age at which dementia develops.

Much more common is the reverse situation - the so-called hyperinsulinemia, i.e. production of excess insulin by the body.

Hyperinsulinemia occurs commonly in pre-diabetes, obesity, and the early stages of type 2 diabetes.

An increase in insulin production leads to an increase in IDE levels, but at some point the excess insulin becomes so significant that it exceeds the ability of IDE to contain it.

And since “Fighting” with insulin is the primary function of IDE, then almost all the enzyme produced by the body is spent on this task. IDE is no longer enough to protect the brain from beta-amyloid, which means that the risk of Alzheimer's disease rises sharply.

Myopia.

Surely you didn't overdo it?

The fact is that an excessive amount of insulin leads to the elongation of the eyeball in length, which is the main violation in myopia.

According to scientists, this mechanism can explain the sharp increase in the incidence of myopia (nearsightedness) over the past 200 years. Today, this disorder affects up to 30% of the population of European countries.

A high level of insulin leads to a decrease in the amount of insulin-like hormone - 3, as a result of which the normal development of the eyeball is disturbed, namely, the discrepancy between its length and the size of the lens. If the eyeball is too long, the lens is unable to focus light onto the retina.

In addition, it has been shown that myopia is more likely to develop in people who are overweight, as well as in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Both of these disorders are associated with elevated insulin levels.

Still, excess levels of insulin circulating in the blood (hyperinsulinemia) are associated with the presence of male pattern baldness, and can apparently be caused by insulin resistance.

Elevated groups of men have been identified, with an increased risk of:

Hyperinsulinemia increases the risk of baldness by almost 2 times;

Moderate obesity increases the risk of baldness by almost 2 times;

Severe obesity increases the risk of hair loss by almost 150%;

The use of cholesterol-lowering drugs increases the risk of baldness by more than 4 times;

Using blood pressure or diabetic medication more than doubles the risk of hair loss .

Conclusion:

you need to learn how to control insulin so that you can balance between muscle nutrition and fat storage. Make it work so that your muscles grow and fat is burned. This is achieved in two ways.

Firstly, increase insulin sensitivity in muscles and decrease in fat cells.

And secondly, control insulin release.

In all organisms, insulin regulates the uptake of glucose by cells. Thus, there is a commonality in the regulation of metabolism in almost all living organisms, from bacteria and plants to animals and humans.

Insulin receptors are found in almost all cells of the body, they bind The lubricating properties do not depend on the type of tissue and the type of animal.

But, insulin in high concentration continuously bombards the cells, and they begin to defend themselves, close their "doors" - receptors. This is how insulin resistance occurs.

Insulin resistance often develops with obesity. It has been confirmed that the sensitivity of tissues to insulin decreases by 40% when the body weight is exceeded by 35-40% of the norm.

If, simply- this is bad.

This means that your cells - especially muscle cells - do not respond to the anabolic effect of insulin, i.e. they are resistant to the action of insulin.

In this case, the body begins to secrete even more insulin, trying to overcome this barrier in the cells and force them to store nutrients.

Well, a high level of insulin in the blood, as you already know, is very bad and leads to type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, etc.

Insulin sensitivity, on the other hand, is a very good thing. In this case, your cells - especially muscle cells - respond perfectly to even a small release of insulin.

And, accordingly, you need very little insulin to put them into an anabolic state. So high insulin sensitivity is what we're looking for.

HOW IMPORTANT IS INSULIN SENSITIVITY?

We think that it is insulin sensitivity that determines the ratio of fat to muscle in your body especially when you are trying to gain or lose weight.

If you are more insulin sensitive at the time of mass gain, you will gain more muscle than fat.

For example, with normal insulin sensitivity, you will gain 0.5 kg of muscle for every kg of fat, so the ratio will be 1:2.

With increased sensitivity, you will be able to gain 1 kg of muscle for every kg of fat. Or even better.

It should also be said that the concentration of receptors on the cell surface (including insulin receptors) depends, among other things, on the level of hormones in the blood.

If this level increases, then the number of receptors for the corresponding hormone decreases, i.e. in fact, there is a decrease in the sensitivity of the cell to the hormone in the blood in excess. And vice versa.

Additional administration of insulin or taking medications that increase insulin production over a long period of time can, like excessive food intake, lead to an irreversible decrease in the number of insulin receptors on the cell surface, and hence to a steady decrease in the ability of cells to utilize glucose, i.e. to type 2 diabetes or its aggravation.

MYTHS OF INSULIN

Myth: Insulin increases hunger

Fact: insulin reduces appetite. Numerous studies have shown that insulin actually suppresses appetite.

Myth: Carbohydrates stimulate insulin, which stimulates fat storage.

Fact: the body is perfectly able to synthesize and store fat, even with low insulin.

It is believed that insulin is needed to store fat. This is not true. Your body has ways to store fat even in low insulin conditions.

For example, fat cells have an enzyme called hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). It helps break down fats. Insulin inhibits its activity, and thus inhibits the breakdown of fat. That is why people believe that carbohydrates are to blame for the growth of fat reserves.

However, fat also suppresses HSL activity, even when insulin is low.

So, if you sort out calories, even low-carb, fat will still not be burned.

Myth: Carbohydrates alone are responsible for high insulin levels.

Fact: protein is also great for raising insulin

This is probably the most common myth. Carbohydrates get a bad rap because of their effect on insulin, but proteins are great for stimulating insulin too. In fact, they are just as powerful a stimulus as coals.

One study compared the effects of two meals on insulin levels. One meal contained 21 grams of protein and 125 grams. coals. The other had 75 grams of protein and 75 grams of charcoal. Both meals contained 675 kcal each.

INCREASED INSULIN PRODUCTION SHORTENS LIFE LIFE

Insulin belongs to evolutionarily very “old” peptides.

If we turn to evolutionary and ontogenetic data, we can find insulin in bacteria, unicellular organisms, plants, annelids, mollusks, insects and other representatives of the animal world that do not have a pancreatic gland.

This hormone plays an important role in the life of a variety of living beings. including worms. And since experiments on worms are much easier to set up than on more complex organisms, many of the properties of insulin were revealed just in such experiments.

The new study was also conducted on roundworms of the species C. elegans. Boston scientists have found that an increase in insulin production leads to the deactivation of a protein that controls the work of a whole group of genes responsible for protecting cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Since SKN-1 provides cell purification from toxic products of oxidative reactions, it protects the body from premature aging. It follows that increased insulin production shortens life expectancy.

So keep your insulin levels low if you want to live longer, or keep your sugar levels low with insulin-boosting drugs if you want to die young!

Insulin sensitivity is the most important factor in the recovery and change in the composition of your body.

Use the glycemic index, insulin index and choose your diet wisely to bring your body to peak shape.

Obviously, the main reason for the increased mortality rate in patients with type 2 diabetes using insulin and insulin secretagogues is excess insulin .

WHAT AMOUNT OF INSULIN SHOULD BE IN THE BLOOD OF A HEALTHY PERSON?

Fasting insulin should be less than 5 mcU/ml

2 hours after the glucose load, it should not rise more than 30 μU / ml.

If you have such an analysis - you are healthy!

The amount of insulin does not change only in the blood of young children , and when puberty begins, its level becomes dependent on the adoption of food. That is, when food enters the body, the level of insulin rises sharply.

Therefore, tests for insulin levels are carried out only on an empty stomach.

Our body cells are like a spaceship bombarded by meteors (hormones and nutrients).

Therefore, neither hormones nor cells exist in isolation from the rest of the body. When we focus on one thing, we risk missing out on many more. So when setting goals and developing a plan, stick to your approach. Don't try to follow someone else's path or follow a program from a magazine. Go your own way!

Parable of God and the Farmer

Once a farmer came to God and said:

- Listen, You are God and You created the world, but one thing I can tell You - You are not a farmer. You don't even know the basics of farming. You need to learn a little.

- What do you suggest? God asked.

- Give me one year, and let everything happen as I want, and see what happens. There will be no poverty.

God agreed and gave the farmer one year.

Naturally, the farmer asked for the best. There was no storm, no lightning, no frost, nothing dangerous for the crop. If he wanted the sun - there was sun, when he wanted rain - it was raining, and exactly as much as he wanted.

This year everything was correct, everything was mathematically accurate. The farmer got everything he needed, everything that was most favorable, and he was happy. The wheat has grown very tall!

And then the farmer came to God and said:

- Look, this time the harvest is such that even if people do not work for 10 years, there will be enough food.

But when the crop was harvested, there were no grains in the wheat.

The farmer was unspeakably surprised. He asked God:

- Why did it happen so? What did I do wrong?

God said:

- The reason is that there was no resistance, there was no conflict, there was no struggle for survival ... You eliminated everything unfavorable, and the ears in your wheat remained empty! A little wrestling would be just right for her. And storms are necessary, and thunder and lightning! They would awaken the Soul of Wheat, and you would have a good harvest!”

SOLUTION: HOW TO KEEP INSULIN LOW?

Eat 2-3 times a day consciously WITHOUT SNACKS. Try to eat twice a day. Once a day is even better for healthy longevity.

Or have breakfast 6 hours after waking up and stop eating 4 hours before bedtime. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

In this case, the breaks between meals will be 12-18 hours. This will allow you to use four hours for digestion and another eight for the liver to complete detoxification.

If you succeed, fast for 24-32 hours once a week. By fasting once a week, you fast 52 days a year, which will definitely have a positive effect on your body.

Fasting every other day, type 2 diabetes can be cured in 2-10 months.

Fasting for diabetes is the most physiological way of treatment. During it, the cells of the pancreas are restored and "rest", and the body learns to use another energy source - fatty acids.

Intermittent fasting triggers certain genetic mechanisms of cellular repair. This adaptation is designed to extend cell life during times of starvation.

It is energetically more profitable to repair cells than to reproduce new ones. By the way, such mechanisms prevent the occurrence of cancer. Cancer cells tolerate starvation more difficult than normal cells, since the mutations that led to cancer ensure that cells multiply rapidly in the physiological conditions in which they arose, and any change in conditions is not in their favor.

Perhaps that is why fasting combined with conventional cancer therapy has a double effect.

These repair mechanisms are triggered by somatotropic hormone (GH), which opposes insulin.

As you know, growth hormone enhances fat burning, enhances collagen recovery, which increases muscle strength, strength of tendons, ligaments and bones. Growth hormone also improves skin condition by reducing the depth of wrinkles and healing cuts and burns faster.

Growth hormone specializes in tissue repair, efficient use of energy and reducing inflammation activity.

In contrast, insulin stores an energy substrate, triggers cell division and inflammation. Insulin inhibits growth hormone activity.

That's some simple biochemistry.

According to Natural News, scientists at the Heart Institute's Intermountain Medical Center found that men who fasted for 24 hours had a 2,000% increase in growth hormone (1,300% in women)! Fasting significantly lowered triglyceride levels and stabilized blood sugar levels.

Complete starvation for one day a month increases the level of human growth hormone, which causes the breakdown of fat to meet the energy needs of the body, lowers the level of insulin and other markers of glucose metabolism.

As a result, people lose weight, they have a reduced risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Pay more attention to the so-called food insulin index. If milk has a low glycemic index but a high insulin index, then you should not drink it when you want to keep insulin levels low.

Another example of a food or food combination for this situation is baked beans in sauce, any meals (breakfast, lunch or dinner) with refined sugars and fats, and meals rich in proteins and carbohydrates.

All of the options listed have a low glycemic index, but a high insulin index, and none of them are suitable to keep insulin levels low.

You can significantly increase insulin sensitivity after 3-4 strength training sessions per week, lasting for an hour each. To these classes, it is worth adding another 3-4 aerobic training sessions per week for 30 minutes each. If you really want to change your insulin sensitivity, aerobic exercise should be given separately from strength training.

The fact is that the anti-insulin hormone IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) is produced in the muscles during strength exercises and, entering the bloodstream, stops the release of basic insulin from the pancreas.

Insulin sensitivity can also be improved with a diet high in fiber, especially soluble fiber and resistant starch. On the other hand, the now popular high-fat and severely carbohydrate-restricted diets can reduce insulin sensitivity.

The materials are for informational purposes only. Remember, self-medication is life-threatening, consult a doctor for advice on the use of any medications and treatments. published . If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to specialists and readers of our project

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consciousness - together we change the world! © Econe

In the human body, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. Each organ or system is responsible for certain processes. By disrupting the work of one of them, you can say goodbye to good health once and for all. Of course, many of us have heard of hormones as certain substances that are produced by certain glands. They are different in their chemical composition, but they also have common properties - to be responsible for the metabolism in the human body, and therefore for its good work.

Insulin is a hormone of which gland?

It should be noted right away that all the processes occurring in any organ are a very complex, but, nevertheless, interconnected system.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, or rather, formations located in its very depths. In medicine, they are also called the islets of Langerhans-Sobolev. By the way, note that insulin is a hormone that affects almost all functions in the human body. It belongs to the peptide series and was created for high-quality saturation of all body cells with essential substances. insulin is able to carry potassium, various amino acids, and most importantly, glucose through the blood. The latter is responsible for the balance of carbohydrates. The scheme is as follows: you eat food, the level of glucose in the body rises, therefore, the level of insulin in the blood increases. We often hear in medicine about such a substance as insulin. Everyone immediately associates it with diabetes. But to answer a simple question: “Insulin is a hormone of what, organ or tissue? Or maybe it is produced by the whole system? - not every person can.

Insulin (hormone) - functions in the human body

Think for yourself, the action of the hormone insulin is to ensure the normal nutrition of all body cells. It is primarily responsible for balancing carbohydrates in the human body. But if the pancreas fails, protein and fat metabolism simultaneously suffers. Keep in mind that insulin belongs to protein hormones, which means that it can get into the human stomach from the outside, but it will be quickly digested there and will not be absorbed at all. The action of the hormone insulin is to influence most enzymes. But its main task, according to scientists and physicians, is the timely reduction of blood glucose. Often, doctors prescribe a special analysis that will clearly reveal whether the hormone insulin is elevated or not in the patient. Thus, it is possible to determine whether the patient's ailments are associated with incipient diabetes mellitus or with another disease. Of course, one can live with such a diagnosis, the main thing is to detect it in time and start supporting therapy.

Medical norms of insulin

Any indicator has a certain scale of values, according to which one can judge the patient's condition. If we say that insulin is a pancreatic hormone, it should be understood that after each meal it can be increased. Therefore, there are some standards for testing. It is necessary not to eat 1.5 hours before them or come for the study strictly on an empty stomach.

Then there is a high probability of a reliable result. The most important thing that the doctor is trying to understand is whether the patient has diabetes mellitus, and if other problems arise, prescribe appropriate additional studies and medications. We note right away that each medical laboratory or institution is able to indicate its individual values ​​of the studied indicator, which in the end will be considered normal. In principle, the hormone insulin, the norm of which on an empty stomach will average 3-28 mcU / ml, can also vary slightly. Therefore, when receiving the results of the analysis, try not to panic, but it is better to visit a competent specialist to decipher them. For example, pregnant women have indicators that differ from other people (average 6-28 mcU / ml). When the doctor suspects it makes sense to already mention its two main types:

The hormone insulin is lowered - the pancreas does not cope with its work and produces it in insufficient quantities - type 1 diabetes;

The hormone insulin is elevated - the reverse situation, when there is a lot of the corresponding substance in the body, but it does not feel it and produces even more - type 2 diabetes.

Does insulin affect human growth?

At present, it is possible to easily obtain various preparations for increasing muscle and bone tissue. This is usually practiced by athletes who need to gain weight in a short time and make their body more prominent. I would like to immediately note that insulin and growth hormone are closely interconnected. How this happens is difficult to figure out, but possible. Growth hormone is a certain drug belonging to the peptide series. It is he who is able to cause accelerated development of muscles and tissues. Its action is as follows: it has a powerful effect on muscle growth, while burning large amounts of fat. Of course, this cannot but affect the carbohydrate metabolism in the body. The mechanism is simple: growth hormone directly increases blood glucose levels. In this case, the pancreas, normally functioning, begins to work hard, producing insulin in large quantities. But if you use this remedy in uncontrolled doses, the above-described organ cannot cope with the load, respectively, blood glucose rises, and this is fraught with the appearance of a disease called diabetes mellitus. Remember one simple formula:

Low blood sugar - growth hormone enters the body in large quantities;

High blood sugar levels - insulin is produced in large quantities.

Growth hormone - the course and its dosages should be prescribed to athletes only by experienced coaches or doctors. Because excessive use of this drug can lead to terrible consequences for further health. Many are inclined to believe that when you inject yourself with growth hormone, you definitely need to help your own pancreas work using appropriate doses of insulin.

A woman and a man - are their insulin levels the same?

Naturally, many analyzes directly depend on the gender and age category of the patient.

It has already become clear that the hormone of the pancreas (insulin) is responsible for controlling blood glucose levels. Therefore, in order to evaluate the work of this body, it will be enough to donate blood for sugar. This study is carried out by taking strictly on an empty stomach. Remember the following indicators by which you can assess whether your body produces the hormone insulin in sufficient quantities. The norm for women and men is the same: the concentration of glucose in the blood will be 3.3-5.5 mmol / l. If it is in the range of 5.6-6.6 mmol / l, then it would be advisable to follow a special diet and conduct additional research. This is the so-called borderline state, when it is still pointless to talk about diabetes. You need to start worrying even then if the blood glucose level is close to 6.7 mmol / l. In this case, doctors advise taking the next test - glucose tolerance. Here are some other numbers:

7.7 mmol / l and below - normal value;

7.8-11.1 mmol / l - there are already violations in the system;

Above 11.1 mmol / l - the doctor can talk about diabetes.

From the above results, it becomes clear that insulin norms are approximately the same for women and men, i.e. gender does not have any effect on this. But pregnant ladies should remember that in their interesting position there are specific deviations from the current norms. This is often due to the fact that the pancreas does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, and blood sugar rises. Usually everything is regulated by a special diet, but sometimes doctors in this case talk about diabetes in pregnant women. Children are still a separate category, since at their early age, due to the underdevelopment of the nervous system and the insufficiently active functioning of all organs, the level of glucose in the blood can be lowered. But even with its increase (5.5-6.1 mmol / l) it is necessary to understand in more detail, because this may be due to a violation of the rules for passing the analysis itself.

What is glucagon?

So, from the above, it follows that insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. But, in addition to this, this body is responsible for the production of other substances, such as glucagon and C-peptide. We are very interested in the functions of the first of them. After all, in fact, they are directly opposite to the work of insulin. Accordingly, it becomes clear that increases blood sugar levels. Thus, these substances maintain the glucose level in a neutral state. It is worth noting that the hormones insulin and glucagon are substances that are produced by just one of the many organs of the human body. In addition to them, there are still a huge number of tissues and systems that do the same. And for good blood sugar levels, these hormones are not always enough.

Elevated insulin - what is it fraught with?

Of course, not always an increase in this indicator will necessarily lead to the onset of diabetes.

One of the most common consequences can be obesity, and only then the disease in the blood. Often, doctors and nutritionists, in order to explain to their patients a simple mechanism for the formation of excess weight, begin their story with an answer to a simple question: “Insulin is a hormone of which gland?” After all, people who eat a large amount (for example, flour and sweet dishes) do not think about what kind of load their pancreas experiences at the same time. Of course, you can eat these products, but in moderate portions, then the whole system works organically. In general, with this diet, the following happens: insulin rises constantly (i.e., this process becomes chronic), but sugar enters the body in unlimited quantities, as a result, it is simply deposited in fat. And remember that in this case, the appetite is greatly increased. A vicious circle from which it will be very difficult for you to get out is provided: eat a lot of unhealthy food and tight - insulin is increased - fat is deposited - appetite increases - again we eat in unlimited quantities. It is best to contact specialists in time, who will prescribe the appropriate diets and all the necessary tests.

Diabetes

This is a terrible disease that has become the so-called plague of the 20th century. And not only because of the large number of patients, but also because of the reasons for its appearance and the decrease in the age of patients. Now diabetes mellitus can occur not only in an elderly person, who, in principle, is prone to this disease due to the deterioration in the functioning of all his organs, but also in young children. Scientists around the world are trying to find the answer to this complex question. After all, it turns out that a child with diabetes must maintain a normal level of insulin throughout his subsequent life. It is not difficult to identify this disease, an experienced doctor should prescribe a few simple studies. To begin with, blood is taken for sugar and it is determined whether it is elevated. With a positive result, they already act as follows: they conduct a glucose tolerance test and make an appropriate diagnosis. When diabetes is confirmed, the doctor needs to understand how much of the studied hormone is lacking in your particular body. To do this, you need to take an insulin test. Here you need to understand that there are only two types of diabetes:

1st: insulin is reduced, while, accordingly, blood glucose is increased. As a result, urination increases and sugar in the urine is detected;

2nd: there is an increase in insulin. Why is this happening? There is also glucose in the blood, insulin is produced, but the body's sensitivity to it decreases, that is, it does not seem to see it. In this case, it makes sense to prescribe special studies, such as a blood test for immunoreactive insulin.

Since insulin is a hormone of the pancreas, it would be logical to assume that in the case of diabetes, the doctor will also prescribe drugs for the normal functioning of this organ. But the insulin coming from the outside, the body will also need. Therefore, it is necessary to purchase the necessary medicines. By the way, when the diagnosis is made and you will need to independently measure the level of glucose in your blood at home every day, it would be advisable to purchase a device known to everyone - a glucometer. It allows you to easily find out the required value in a few seconds. With disposable needles, you make a small puncture on your finger and collect blood with a test strip. Insert it into the glucometer, and the result is ready. It usually turns out to be reliable.

What drugs contain insulin?

It is worth mentioning right away that all preparations containing insulin should be prescribed strictly by your doctor, there should not be any self-treatment, its consequences are too dangerous. A person who suffers from diabetes simply needs insulin (hormone) coming from outside.

The functions of the pancreas, which cannot cope with its work on its own, must be constantly maintained. How to understand how much insulin a particular patient will need? This figure is measured in special carbohydrate units. Simply put, you count how many carbohydrates are in each meal, and, accordingly, you understand how much insulin you will have to inject in order to lower blood sugar. Of course, there are various analogs of preparations containing insulin. For example, when it comes to a reduced hormone, when, in fact, the pancreas does not cope with its work, it is worth resorting to drugs that can activate its activity (say, the Butamid drug). In principle, we can say that this is not insulin purely introduced into your body, but only a substance that will somehow help the body recognize this hormone produced by its own corresponding organ. Anyone who has ever encountered the problem of diabetes is well aware that at present all drugs aimed at combating it are produced in the form of injections for injections. Naturally, scientists around the world are puzzled over how to make this procedure easier and find a cure in a different form (for example, pills). But so far to no avail. In principle, for those who are accustomed to daily procedures of this type, they already seem to be absolutely painless. Even children are able to make such an injection under the skin on their own. Usually, the injected insulin starts its work in an average of half an hour, it will concentrate in the blood to the maximum after about 3 hours. The duration of its work is about 6 hours. Those who have already been accurately diagnosed with diabetes need to give themselves such injections three times a day: in the morning (always on an empty stomach), at noon, in the evening. Of course, the action of the injected insulin sometimes needs to be extended (in medical parlance, this is called prolongation). You can do this procedure using the following suspensions: zinc-insulin (duration 10-36 hours), protamine-zinc-insulin (24-36 hours). They are administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

Is it possible to overdose on insulin?

We know that in pharmaceutical form, insulin is a hormone. What cannot be done exactly with it is to prescribe or cancel its introduction independently.

If a situation occurs when there is too much insulin in the blood - this is the so-called overdose or hypoglycemia - the situation should be urgently corrected. First of all, you must clearly understand what is happening to a person: he may suddenly want to eat strongly, start sweating and get irritated, show inexplicable aggression, or even faint. The worst thing in this case is when convulsions inevitably occur and the activity of the heart is disturbed. Mandatory actions in this situation:

It is necessary to replenish the reserves of sugar in the blood, that is, to eat something containing it: a piece of sugar, a sweet cookie or a slice of ordinary white bread - this is done when the very first symptoms appear;

When the situation is very critical and shock is inevitable, an urgent need to inject intravenous glucose solution (40%).

Be sure to keep an eye on how your body generally behaves in response to the use of insulin injections. After all, each of us is individual. Some people may experience a severe allergic reaction, manifested not only at the injection site in the form of a red spot, but also throughout the body (urticaria or dermatitis). Be careful, immediately contact your doctor, he can simply replace the drug you have with suinsulin. In no case should you do this on your own, then a sudden lack of insulin can lead to coma and death.

Insulin is the hormone responsible for your health. Remember that diabetes can develop in anyone. Sometimes this is directly related to the abuse of sweet and starchy foods. Some people are not able to control themselves in such matters and eat a large amount of carbohydrates every day. Thus, their body lives in constant stress, trying to independently produce more and more insulin. And now, when he is completely exhausted, this disease sets in.

Insulin is an important hormone for our health and longevity, as well as for weight control and its structure (increase in muscle mass and decrease in body fat mass). However, there are many myths about insulin that deceive the reader without proper scientific background. Therefore, I will try to tell you in detail and with nuances.

So, we know that insulin is a pancreatic hormone that regulates blood glucose levels. After you eat something, the carbohydrates in your food are broken down into glucose (a sugar that your cells use as fuel). Insulin helps glucose get to the liver, muscles and fat cells. When the glucose concentration decreases, the insulin level also decreases. As a rule, insulin levels are lower in the morning, because about eight hours have passed since the last meal.

Insulin is a zealous owner (“everything in the house” - no matter what and where). So if you don't have room for calories, he stacks them up anywhere. Therefore, the chronobiology of nutrition and physical activity is of great importance.

Insulin stimulates and inhibits at the same time.

It is important to understand that insulin has two types of action and its ability to inhibit certain processes is just as important as its stimulatory effect. The inhibitory function of insulin is often much more important than its activating or stimulating function. Thus, insulin is more like a traffic controller or a traffic light at a crossroads. It helps slow down and streamline movement. Without a traffic light or a traffic controller there would be a complete mess and a lot of accidents. That is, gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, proteolysis, synthesis of ketone bodies and lipolysis in the absence of insulin would take place at high speeds without any control. And it would all end with hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis and death.

For example, high insulin:

- stimulates protein synthesis
- inhibits the breakdown of fat
- stimulates the accumulation of fat
- inhibits the breakdown of glycogen

1. Insulin helps muscle growth. Insulin stimulates protein synthesis by activating its production by ribosomes. In addition, insulin helps transport amino acids into muscle fibers. Insulin actively transports certain amino acids into muscle cells. We're talking about BCAAs. Branched-chain amino acids are "personally" delivered by insulin to muscle cells. And this is very good if you intend to build muscle mass.

2. Insulin prevents protein catabolism. Insulin prevents muscle breakdown. While it may not sound very exciting, the anti-catabolic nature of insulin is every bit as important as its anabolic properties.

Any financially savvy person will tell you that it's not just how much money you make that matters. It also matters how much money you spend. The same is true for muscles. Every day our body synthesizes a certain amount of proteins, and at the same time destroys the old ones. Whether you manage to gain muscle mass over time or not depends on “physiological arithmetic”. To increase muscle, you must synthesize more protein than you break down in the process of catabolism.

3. Insulin activates glycogen synthesis. Insulin increases the activity of enzymes (eg, glycogen synthase) that stimulate glycogen production. This is very important as it helps to supply glucose to the muscle cells, thus improving their performance and recovery.

4. Boosting insulin helps you feel full and suppresses hunger. Insulin is one of many hormones that play a role in making you feel full. For example, protein, by stimulating insulin, contributed to a decrease in appetite. Numerous studies have shown that insulin actually suppresses appetite.

The dark side of insulin (metabolism)

1. Insulin blocks hormone receptor lipase. Insulin blocks an enzyme called hormonal receptor lipase, which is responsible for the breakdown of adipose tissue. This is obviously bad, because if the body can't break down stored fat (triglycerides) and turn it into a form that can be burned (free fatty acids), you won't lose weight.

2. Insulin reduces fat utilization. Insulin (high insulin levels) reduces the use of fat for energy. Instead, it promotes the burning of carbohydrates. Simply put, insulin "stores fat." Although this has a negative effect on our body image, this action makes sense if we remember that the main function of insulin is to get rid of excess glucose in the blood.

3. Insulin increases the synthesis of fatty acids.

And FFA (free fatty acids) is a key cause of insulin resistance! Insulin increases fatty acid synthesis in the liver, which is the first step in the fat storage process. But it also depends on the availability of excess carbohydrates - if their volume exceeds a certain level, they are either immediately burned or stored as glycogen. Without a doubt, excess insulin is the first cause of elevated levels in the body of triglycerides, fats that were previously considered relatively safe.

Pimples, dandruff and seborrhea. They did not expect? The higher the insulin - the more intense lipogenesis, the more intense lipogenesis - the higher the level of triglycerides in the blood, the higher the level of triglycerides in the blood - the more "fat" is released through the sebaceous glands located throughout the body, especially on the scalp and face. We are talking about hyperfunction and hypertrophy of the sebaceous glands under the action of insulin. People with naturally very smooth skin who have never had acne or pimples may not have this side effect of insulin. In persons with more or less oily skin, with the ability to form acne, insulin can cause severe acne, with hypertrophy of the sebaceous glands and expansion of the skin pores. Acne in women is often one of the signs of hyperandrogenism, which may be accompanied by hyperinsulinemia and dyslipidemia.

4. Insulin activates lipoprotein lipase.

Insulin activates an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase. If you are familiar with medical terminology, this may at first be perceived as a positive characteristic of insulin. After all, lipase is an enzyme that breaks down fat, so why not increase its volume?

Recall that we just discussed how insulin enhances fatty acid synthesis in the liver. Once these additional fatty acids are converted to triglycerides, they are taken up by lipoproteins (eg VLDL proteins - very low density lipoproteins), released into the blood, and seek a place to store them.

So far so good as the triglycerides cannot be absorbed by the fat cells. So while you may have enough triglycerides in your blood, you won't actually store fat. until lipoprotein lipase comes into play. Once it is activated by insulin, lipoprotein lipase breaks these triglycerides into absorbable fatty acids, which are quickly and easily absorbed by fat cells, converted back to triglycerides there, and remain in fat cells.

5. Insulin blocks the use of glycogen.

The black side of insulin (as growth hormone)

With chronically elevated insulin levels (insulin resistance), other negative aspects of insulin come to the fore. Excess insulin disrupts the normal functioning of other hormones, inhibits growth hormone. Of course, insulin is one of the engines of the full growth of children. But in adults, its excess brings premature aging closer.

1. Excess insulin destroys arteries.

Excess insulin causes clogging of the arteries because it stimulates the growth of smooth muscle tissue around the vessels. Such cell reproduction plays a very important role in the development of atherosclerosis, when there is an accumulation of cholesterol plaques, narrowing of the arteries and a decrease in blood flow. In addition, insulin interferes with the clot dissolution system by raising the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Thus, the formation of blood clots is stimulated, which clog the arteries.

2 Insulin raises blood pressure.

If you have high blood pressure, there is a 50% chance that you are insulin resistant and have too much insulin in your bloodstream. Exactly how insulin affects blood pressure is still unknown. Insulin itself has a direct vasodilating effect. In normal people, the administration of physiological doses of insulin in the absence of hypoglycemia causes vasodilation rather than an increase in blood pressure. However, under conditions of insulin resistance, hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system leads to the appearance of arterial hypertension due to sympathetic stimulation of the heart, blood vessels and kidneys.

3. Insulin stimulates the growth of cancerous tumors.



Insulin is a growth hormone, and its excess can lead to increased cell reproduction and tumors. Fat people produce more insulin, because it is the excess of insulin that causes obesity, so they are more likely than people with normal weight to develop cancerous tumors. Tall people also have increased insulin production (the taller, the more insulin), so their risk of getting cancer is higher. These are statistics and well-known facts.

On the other hand, if you reduce the production of insulin in the body, the risk of developing cancerous tumors will also decrease. In animal experiments, it was found that long, regular breaks in food also reduce the risk of developing cancerous tumors, even if the total number of calories in the diet of animals is not reduced, in other words, after these breaks they are given plenty to eat. In these experiments, it was found that infrequent meals lead to a steady and permanent decrease in blood insulin levels.

4. Hyperinsulinemia stimulates chronic inflammation.

Hyperinsulinemia stimulates the formation of arachidonic acid, which is then converted into inflammation-stimulating PG-E2 and the amount of inflammation in the body increases dramatically. Chronically high insulin levels or hyperinsulinism also causes low adiponectin levels and this is a problem as it increases insulin resistance and inflammation.

Adiponectin is an adipose tissue hormone that maintains normal insulin sensitivity, prevents the development of diabetes and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Adiponectin plays an important role in energy regulation, as well as in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, lowering glucose and lipid levels, increasing insulin sensitivity and having anti-inflammatory effects. In obese people (particularly those with abdominal obesity), the daily secretion of adiponectin during the day was found to be reduced.

Chronobiology of insulin.

To understand the proper functioning of insulin, you need to consider:

1. Basal insulin level (depends on insulin sensitivity)

2. Food insulin (amount and insulin index of food).
3. The number of meals and the intervals between them.



If you eat, for example, three times a day and observe the intervals between meals, then lipogenesis and lipolysis balance each other. This is a very rough graph where the green area represents lipogenesis triggered by food intake. And the blue area shows lipolysis occurring between meals and during sleep.


A high rise in insulin when eating is good. This is good because it allows you to effectively control blood sugar levels. Insulin peaks ensure the normal course of important physiological processes.

Snacking and fat burning

When eating, insulin secretion is biphasic. The first phase happens extremely quickly; In response to an increase in glucose concentration, the pancreas releases insulin in 1-2 minutes. This rapid phase of insulin release is usually completed within about 10 minutes. This first phase has been found to be disrupted in people with impaired glucose tolerance (those people whose blood sugar rises higher than normal after eating, and their fasting blood sugar is higher, but does not have diabetes). Let's say the insulin response correlates with the content of branched chain amino acids such as leucine, valine, and isoleucine. For example, leucine stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin.

The first, fast phase, is generally absent in type 2 diabetes.

And the second phase continues as long as there is a glucose stimulus in the blood. That is, the existing insulin is first released, and additional insulin is produced (insulin is secreted by the b-cell from the precursor (precursor) - proinsulin). Restoring the rapid phase of the insulin response improves blood sugar regulation in diabetics: rapidly rising insulin levels are not a bad thing in and of themselves.

Snacking and snacking have a very negative effect on insulin regulation. In response to a snack, insulin rises in 2-3 minutes, and returns to normal in 30-40 minutes.




In experiments on mice, it was found that if they are fed every other day, they live longer and do not get sick. When mice are not fed for 24 hours in a row throughout their lives, and in the next 24 hours they are given food to satiety, then, compared to mice that are fed daily 3 times a day, they, firstly, do not lose weight by eating when there is food, secondly, they never get sick, and thirdly, they live one and a half times longer than those mice that eat regularly 3 times every day. This fact is explained simply - mice that eat less often produce less insulin than those that eat often. Please note that eating less often does not mean less, because there is no difference in the number of calories, the weight of both mice is the same.

Insulin and stress.

If there are substances that stimulate the release of insulin, then there are substances that inhibit this release. These substances include contrainsular hormones. One of the most powerful hormones are the adrenal medulla, which are mediators in the sympathetic nervous system - adrenaline and norepinephrine.

Do you know what these hormones are for? These are the hormones that save our lives. They are released during acute stress to mobilize the entire body. One of their properties is an increase in blood sugar levels, which is an important condition for the survival of the body during times of stress. This explains stress hyperglycemia, which disappears after the disappearance of the threat to life. With a disease such as pheochromocytoma, an excess of these hormones is synthesized, which have a similar effect. Therefore, with this disease, diabetes mellitus often develops. Glucocorticoids are hormones of the adrenal cortex, the most famous representative of which is cortisol.

Insulin and aging.

Low insulin levels are associated with good health, while low insulin sensitivity is associated with poor health.


As recently stated, it seems paradoxical that reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling prolongs life (low blood insulin), but insulin resistance leads to type 2 diabetes. The real paradox is why, in the case of mammals, low insulin levels are associated with good health and poor insulin response with poor health. The theory of the quasi-program launched by TOR provides the answer. Insulin and IGF-1 activate TOR. Thus, attenuation of insulin/IGF‑1 signaling reduces TOR activity and thus delays aging.

Insulin resistance is a manifestation of increased TOR activity, since excessively active TOR causes insulin resistance. So in both cases, increased TOR activity is to blame: is it caused by insulin or is it manifested as insulin resistance.

Insulin sensitivity.

The higher the amount of insulin in your blood (average), the more often it is released and the longer it lasts, the worse your insulin sensitivity. The concentration of receptors on the cell surface (including insulin receptors) depends, among other things, on the level of hormones in the blood. If this level increases significantly and for a long time, then the number of receptors for the corresponding hormone decreases, i.e. in fact, there is a decrease in the sensitivity of the cell to the hormone in the blood in excess. And vice versa.


It has been confirmed that the sensitivity of tissues to insulin decreases by 40% when the body weight is exceeded by 35-40% of the norm. Insulin sensitivity, on the other hand, is a very good thing. In this case, your cells - especially muscle cells - respond perfectly to even a small release of insulin.

And, accordingly, you need very little insulin to put them into an anabolic state. So high insulin sensitivity is what we're looking for. It is insulin sensitivity that determines the ratio of fat to muscle in your body, especially when you are trying to gain or lose weight. If you are more insulin sensitive at the time of mass gain, you will gain more muscle than fat. For example, with normal insulin sensitivity, you will gain 0.5 kg of muscle for every kg of fat, so the ratio will be 1:2. With increased sensitivity, you will be able to gain 1 kg of muscle for every kg of fat. Or even better.

Physical activity is the most important factor in maintaining normal insulin sensitivity. A sedentary lifestyle and lack of strength activity cause a strong blow. But this is a topic for a separate conversation, see here:

Conclusion.

1. Our goal: low basal insulin levels and good insulin sensitivity.

2. This is achieved: 2-3 meals per day. Ideally two. No snacking or snacking

There is no other organ in the human body like the pancreas. Violation of its functions can lead to the development of diabetes mellitus. As part of the endocrine system, iron has unique abilities that can influence many life processes. They are regulated by the insulin hormone. What is responsible for and what is the range of its action? What is the significant role of insulin in the human body? How to check and what to do if your own hormone is not enough?

An organ that synthesizes enzymes and hormones

Anatomically, the pancreas is located behind the posterior wall of the stomach. Hence the origin of its name. The most important function of the endocrine organ is to produce insulin. This is a special secretory substance that takes a leading part in various processes.

Hyperfunction of the gland is an increased production of the hormone. In such a patient, appetite increases, blood sugar decreases. Hypofunction of the organ is accompanied by opposite symptoms, frequent urination, increased thirst.

The organ is classified as a gland of mixed secretion. It also has the ability to produce pancreatic or pancreatic juice. Its enzymes are actively involved in digestion. As a result, the body receives the energy necessary for normal existence.

Pancreatic juice is a clear, colorless liquid. Its amount in a healthy adult is 600-700 ml. The elements of the produced secret are enzymes (amylase, lipase). Enzymatic substances selectively accelerate the breakdown of food into components, for example, proteins to amino acids.

Lipase and bile are oriented towards fats, while amylase targets carbohydrates. Complex compounds (starch, glycogen) eventually turn into simple saccharides. In the future, they fall under the influence of intestinal enzymes, where the products of multi-stage reactions are finally absorbed into the blood.

Action spectrum

What exactly is insulin for? The hormone is needed by every cell in the body. Its main sites of action are the liver, muscles, and adipose tissue. In the blood of a healthy adult on an empty stomach, there should be insulin in the range of 10-20 microns U / ml (0.4-0.8 ng / ml).

Produced by the pancreas or introduced from the outside, the hormone enters the blood vessels. What does insulin do? More than half of its total amount is temporarily retained in the liver. And it is immediately included in the processes of regulation of metabolic processes.

Thanks to insulin, it happens:

• reducing the destruction of glycogen and its formation in the liver;
• an obstacle to the conversion of glucose from other compounds;
• suppression of the synthesis of ketone bodies and the breakdown of proteins in muscle tissue;
• formation of glycerol from fat molecules.

With the hormone, the liver and tissues intensively absorb glucose from the blood, the metabolism of minerals is stabilized. Ketone bodies are harmful substances that are formed as a result of poor-quality breakdown of fats.

In the pancreas, not only glucose increases the secretion of the hormone, but also the components of proteins (amino acids) that enter the gastrointestinal tract. It is dangerous for a diabetic to deprive himself of protein foods for a long period. Multi-day fasting diets are contraindicated for him.

Thanks to genetic engineering technologies, insulin that meets all physiological requirements is also obtained artificially.

Functions and structure of a complex protein molecule

The hormone has many roles. It saves and accumulates energy. Cells of muscle and adipose tissue under hormonal patronage intensively absorb about 15% of glucose. More than half of the total carbohydrate amount comes from the liver at rest in a healthy person.

The sensitive organ instantly reacts to the glycemic level of the blood. Lack of insulin leads to a decrease in the formation of glucose. The synthesis of substances rich in energy, necessary for a person for life, is falling.

With normal hormone production and glucose metabolism in tissues, the rate of carbohydrate uptake by cells is low. Working muscles receive it in full. The function of insulin is to increase the reserves of proteins in the body. The destruction of the pancreatic hormone occurs mainly in the liver. Thanks to him, tissue cells absorb potassium, the excretion of sodium by the kidneys is delayed.

The protein molecule itself has a complex structure. It consists of 16 amino acids (there are 20 in total). In 1921, Canadian medical scientists isolated insulin from the pancreas of mammals. One year later, in Russia, the adopted experience was successfully tested.

It is known that a huge amount of animal pancreas is required to obtain the drug. So, in order to provide one diabetic patient with a hormone for the whole year, the organs of 40,000 pigs were involved. Now there are more than 50 different drugs. The synthesized glycemic agent goes through three stages of purification and is considered the best at the present stage.

Some diabetic patients have a certain psychological barrier when switching to insulin therapy. They take unreasonable risks by refusing hormonal injections in case of poor compensation of the disease. It is impossible to penetrate the oral route (through the mouth) to the protein substance. Insulin in the human body is destroyed in the digestive tract, without getting into the bloodstream.

Test to determine glucose tolerance

Testing for the alleged diagnosis of "diabetes mellitus" is done by provocation with glucose in the amount of 75 g. The sweet solution is drunk on an empty stomach, but not earlier than 10 hours. Carbohydrate coming from food stimulates the secretion of the hormone. Over the next 2 hours, the patient donates blood several times. Indicators of glucose concentration in whole blood, including venous, capillary and plasma, vary.

Use insulin only in the form of injections

It is believed that the disease diabetes mellitus is diagnosed when the values ​​of glycemia:

• on an empty stomach - more than 6.11 mmol / l;
• after 1 hour - more than 9.99 mmol / l;
• after 2 hours - 7.22 mmol / l.

A variant is possible when only one or two values ​​​​are above the norm. This already allows one to doubt the absolute health of a person on the issue of endocrine disease. In this case, continue the examination. It is recommended to take an analysis for glycated hemoglobin (the norm is up to 7.0 mml/l). It shows the average level of glycemia for the previous period, the last 3-4 months.

An auxiliary method for determining diabetes is a study on the C-peptide. Making a diagnosis does not mean at all that at the same time the endocrinologist will prescribe hormone treatment.

Types of insulin therapy and dose determination

Why do people with diabetes need insulin? A protein hormone is injected in the right place in the body (stomach, leg, arm) to compensate for the jump in blood glucose.

• With a mild manifestation of the disease on an empty stomach, the level of glycemia does not exceed 8.0 mmol / l. During the day there are no sharp fluctuations. There may be traces of sugar in the urine (glycosuria). Such a slight form of glycemia can be a harbinger of the disease. She is treated at this stage with a special diet and doing feasible physical exercises.
• With an average form, glycemia indicators are up to 14 mmol / l, glucosuria manifests itself, and occasionally ketone bodies (ketoacidosis). At the same time, diabetes is also compensated by diet and the intake of hypoglycemic agents, including insulin. Local diabetic disorders in blood circulation and nervous regulation (angioneuropathy) develop.
• The severe form requires continuous insulin therapy and is characterized by high levels of glycemia and glycosuria, on an empty stomach of more than 14 mmol/l and 50 g/l, respectively.

It is important to remember that measurements with a glucometer during the day are carried out 2 hours after a meal, when its own insulin secreted by the pancreas or introduced from the outside has completely worked out.

Compensation phases can be:

• normal,
• subcompensation,
• decompensation.

The purpose of insulin therapy depends on the form of the disease, the dose depends on the degree of compensation of carbohydrate metabolism.

In the latter scenario, coma (hyperglycemic) is possible. For successful treatment, frequent measurement of blood sugar is an indispensable condition. Ideally, and before every meal. An adequate dose of injected insulin helps to stabilize the level of glycemia. That's why insulin is needed for a diabetic patient.

The type of artificial hormone depends on the duration of action. It is divided into short and long. The first is better to perform in the stomach, the second - in the thigh. The proportion of each total daily amount varies - 50:50, 60:40 or 40:60. The daily dosage is 0.5-1.0 IU per kilogram of the patient's weight. It depends on the degree of loss of the pancreas of its functions.

For each dose is selected individually and is established empirically in a hospital setting. After that, the diabetic adapts the insulin therapy regimen in a normal home environment. Makes minor adjustments, if necessary, using ancillary measurement methods (glucometer, test strips for glucose and urine ketones).

Last update: April 18, 2018

Deficiency of insulin causes diseases such as diabetes, but thanks to the discovery and availability of insulin formulations, people with diabetes can live normal lives.

Mechanism of action of insulin

The effect of insulin in the body

• increased urination;
• increased appetite;
• increased thirst.

The main causes of occurrence How to recognize the disease? How to treat? Preventive measures Hypoglycemia is a condition of the body […]

Characteristics of the hormone Insulin control Testing Insulin rate Insulin is one of the most important […]

Causes of pathology Symptoms Treatment Hypoglycemia is a human condition characterized by a low level of glucose in the blood. […]

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What is the action of insulin?

Insulin belongs to the category of peptide hormones. The hormone is produced in the pancreas and plays a significant role in most of the metabolic processors that occur in body tissues. The main action of insulin is that it lowers the concentration of glucose in the blood. Insufficient content provokes the onset of diabetes.

Absolute and relative insufficiency of insulin are equally dangerous, as are the consequences of a violation of its secretion due to the destruction of beta cells. Absolute insufficiency of the substance is one of the leading causes of the onset and development of type 1 diabetes mellitus, relative - the second.

What is the substance made of?

The mechanism of action of insulin is directly related to the structure of the hormone molecules. The molecule of this hormone consists of two polypeptide chains. The latter contain 51 amino acid residues. Polypeptide chains are divided into 2 groups:

The first group has 21 amino acid residues, the second - 30. The chains are interconnected by means of disulfide bridges. The primary structure and action of insulin in different biological species is different. In humans, the primary structure of insulin is more similar to that which is formed not in the body of a monkey, but in the body of a pig.

The difference between the structures of pig and human insulin is only in one amino acid residue, which is located in the B chain. The next closest human relative in terms of the structure and mechanism of insulin is the bull. The difference between the human and bovine structure of the hormone is in three amino acid residues.

The action of insulin is not limited to a single decrease in blood sugar. The substance performs the following functions:

• affects the dynamics of the synthesis of proteins and fats;
• stimulates the formation of glycogen in muscle tissues and liver;
• increases the permeability of plasma membranes;
• has an anabolic effect;
• inhibits the activity of enzymes involved in the breakdown of glycogens and fats.

How insulin works directly affects carbohydrate metabolism. If, for one reason or another, destructive processes are noted in beta cells, hormone production is disrupted in the body and an irreversible metabolic disorder begins.

The action of insulin is that it accelerates the transport of glucose through cell membranes. At the same time, glucose transport is influenced and the proteins in the membrane are regulated. The action of insulin triggers an intracellular mechanism. The quality of glucose transfer into the cell directly depends on how this hormone acts on proteins.

Most of all, the substance affects muscle and adipose tissue. Insulin is responsible for the transport of glucose in them, and muscle and adipose tissues directly mediate the vital functions of the body: blood circulation, respiration, motor activity, and much more.

The body gets energy from food and stores it in reserve. If this mechanism does not fully operate, this means that the secretion of the hormone is impaired.

About the effects and dangers of using the drug

The effects that the hormone insulin has are divided into three groups:

The metabolic effect of the substance is that it enhances the absorption of various substances by cells, including glucose, increases the amount of glycogen synthesis and reduces the intensity of glycogenesis. The latter process is especially important in the regulation of blood sugar, as the hormone reduces the amount of glucose produced in the liver. The anabolic effect of insulin is aimed at enhancing protein biosynthesis. Due to its anabolic properties, insulin converts glucose into triglycerides. When a hormone deficiency begins in the body, conditions are created for the accumulation of fats.

The anti-catabolic effect of the hormone is carried out in two directions at once. Insulin reduces the level of protein degradation and reduces the flow of fatty acids into blood cells. For people with diabetes, the only way to maintain their health, improve the quality of life and increase its duration is to take insulin-containing drugs.

It is important for all people with diabetes to know that the dosage of insulin should never be calculated independently. 100 units of insulin is a lethal dose. There is a chance to save a patient's life mainly in those cases when a person is conscious after taking a critical dose of insulin. Before the onset of coma, some time still passes, but it is possible to really help the patient, provided that it is possible to immediately introduce glucose into his blood.

Time of action and types of hormone

The time of action of the hormone insulin in the human body is usually divided into 3 categories:

These components characterize the effect of insulin-containing drugs on the body. Under the beginning is understood the entry of the hormone into the blood of a person. It is from this moment that insulin has a hypoglycemic effect, which is their significant plus. The peak is a rather short period, it is characterized by the most pronounced hypoglycemic effect of the hormone. Duration is a period of time longer than the start and peak. The time it takes for insulin to lower blood sugar is called duration.

According to the duration of action, a number of types of insulin are distinguished, the use of which in medical practice depends on various factors, including background and prandial secretions. To imitate the first, long or medium-acting insulin is needed, for the second, ultrashort or short-term insulins are needed.

Human hormones have a medium to short duration, all other insulins are analogue. The latter are created from human insulin, but the structure of their molecule is changed so that the hormone has the necessary properties to mimic basal or bolus secretions.

Insulin given to lower blood sugar falls into 2 categories:

The first is valid for 24 hours, because it is introduced into the body of patients no more than 1 time per day. Its use is more convenient than a bolus, whose action is limited to a few hours. Basal insulin does not have a peak effect and gives a smooth effect. That is, with regular use, it lowers blood sugar levels to a certain level that does not increase or decrease. The bolus differs from it in a greater efficiency of impact on the body, getting into the blood, the hormone immediately has a tangible effect. The hypoglycemic effect of the bolus hormone is uneven, its peak occurs at the time of the meal - when using insulin of this type it is possible to reduce blood sugar.

The use of analogue insulins is considered more effective than human insulins, since artificially modified molecules of the first hormones better mimic physiological secretions.

About common mistakes

There are various insulin regimens designed for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Those who have type 1 diabetes are prescribed basal insulin, whose use is carried out no more than twice in 24 hours. This type of hormone is combined with a bolus - the latter is administered before meals. This procedure has received in medical practice the name: the regime of multiple injections. In type 2 diabetes, insulin therapy consists of taking the basal hormone insulin and hypoglycemic drugs.

In some cases, patients can hear complaints about the lack of effect from the injected insulin. The drug is in the blood, but the decrease in sugar levels is not observed. Why is this happening? Most often because the technique of administering the drug was violated. Such a situation can provoke:

• expired insulin;
• improper storage of the drug;
• mixing in one bottle and simultaneous introduction of different types of hormone into the body;
• air entering the syringe;
• applying alcohol to the site of the upcoming injection, which destroys insulin.

In order for the drug to have an effective effect, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions for its use and storage, the injection dose, use only serviceable syringes or syringe pens.

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Nmedicine.net

The course of such a multi-stage and complex process as metabolism is influenced by various biologically active substances and hormones, including insulin, which is produced by special islets of Langerhans-Sobolev, which are located in the thickness of the pancreas. It takes part in almost all metabolic processes in the body.

What is insulin?

Insulin is a peptide hormone, very important for normal nutrition and cell function, it is a transporter of glucose, potassium and amino acids. It is designed to regulate carbohydrate balance. Therefore, after a meal, an increase in the amount of this substance in the blood serum in response to the production of glucose is recorded.

The process of normal cellular nutrition is impossible without insulin, and this hormone is indispensable. Insulin is a protein hormone, so it cannot enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract, since it will be digested right away, like any protein.

How does insulin work?

Insulin is also responsible for energy, and in all tissues has a complex effect on metabolism. It is able to influence the activity of many enzymes.

Insulin is the only hormone that is able to reduce blood glucose levels.

If type 1 diabetes mellitus occurs, the violation of the level of insulin in the blood is due to its insufficient production and the level of sugar in the blood increases, while urination also increases, and sugar is determined in the urine.

In type 2 diabetes, the action of insulin is impaired. Here, a blood test for immunoreactive insulin should be performed. This analysis is carried out to determine the type of diabetes mellitus, the adequacy of the functioning of the pancreas, in order to then prescribe treatment with medications.

Checking the level of this hormone allows you to detect a violation in the pancreas, and accurately differentiate diabetes mellitus from another similar disease. This is a very important study. In diabetes mellitus, not only carbohydrate, but also protein and fat metabolism is disturbed. In severe form, diabetes mellitus, if not adequately treated, can lead to death.

The body's need for insulin can be measured in UE - carbohydrate units. The dose is necessarily determined by the type of drug administered. If there is an insufficiency of pancreatic cells, which leads to a reduced content of insulin in the blood, a drug that stimulates the activity of these cells, for example, Butamid, is prescribed for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The mechanism of action of this drug and its analogues is to improve the absorption of insulin in the blood, tissues and organs.

Insulin preparations are usually injected subcutaneously and their action begins on average after fifteen to thirty minutes, and the maximum content in the blood is fixed after two to three hours, the duration of action reaches six hours. With severe diabetes, insulin is administered three times a day - in the morning on an empty stomach, in the afternoon and in the evening.

Long-acting agents are used to increase the duration of action of insulin. These are, for example, a suspension of zinc-insulin with a duration of ten to thirty-six hours, as well as a suspension of protamine-zinc, the duration of which is twenty-four to thirty-six hours. These drugs are given subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

If an overdose of insulin is carried out, a sharp drop in blood glucose can begin - hypoglycemia. It manifests itself in sweating, aggressiveness, irritability, hunger, and sometimes hypoglycemic shock can occur, in which convulsions, impaired cardiac activity and loss of consciousness are possible. At the first signs of hypoglycemia, the patient should urgently consume a piece of sugar, white bread or cookies. In hypoglycemic shock, intravenous administration of 40% glucose solution is required.

When using insulin, allergic reactions are possible, in particular, urticaria, redness at the injection site, and a number of others. In such cases, the doctor tries to prescribe other drugs, for example, suinsulin, but you cannot refuse the previously prescribed substance on your own, since this is fraught with signs of hormone deficiency and coma, here the cause is excessive glucose in the blood.

What is insulin - which organ produces the hormone, mechanism of action in the body and indications for injections

The ideal hormonal level is the basis for the full development of the human body. One of the key hormones in the human body is insulin. Its deficiency or excess leads to negative consequences. Diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia are the two extremes that become constant unpleasant companions of the human body, ignoring information about what insulin is and what its level should be.

The hormone insulin

The honor of creating the first works that paved the way for the discovery of the hormone belongs to the Russian scientist Leonid Sobolev, who in 1900 proposed using the pancreas to produce an antidiabetic drug and gave the concept of what insulin is. More than 20 years were spent on further research, and after 1923, industrial production of insulin began. Today, the hormone is well studied by science. He takes part in the processes of splitting carbohydrates, being responsible for the metabolism and synthesis of fats.

Which organ produces insulin

The insulin-producing organ is the pancreas, where conglomerates of B cells are located, known to the scientific world as Lawrence's islets or pancreatic islets. The specific mass of cells is small and amounts to only 3% of the total mass of the pancreas. Insulin is produced by beta cells, the proinsulin subtype is isolated from the hormone.

What is the insulin subtype is not fully known. The hormone itself, before taking the final form, enters the Golgi cell complex, where it is refined to the state of a full-fledged hormone. The process is completed when the hormone is placed in special granules of the pancreas, where it is stored until a person eats. The resource of B-cells is limited and quickly depleted when a person abuses simple carbohydrate foods, which is the cause of the development of diabetes mellitus.

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Action

What is the hormone insulin? This is the most important regulator of metabolism. Without it, the glucose that enters the body with food will not be able to enter the cell. The hormone increases the permeability of cell membranes, as a result of which glucose is absorbed into the cell body. At the same time, the hormone promotes the conversion of glucose into glycogen - a polysaccharide that contains a supply of energy that is used by the human body as needed.

Functions

The functions of insulin are diverse. It ensures the work of muscle cells, influencing the processes of protein and fat metabolism. The hormone plays the role of an informant of the brain, which, according to the receptors, determines the need for fast carbohydrates: if there is a lot of it, the brain concludes that the cells are starving and it is necessary to create reserves. The effect of insulin on the body:

1. Prevents essential amino acids from being broken down into simple sugars.
2. Improves protein synthesis - the basis of life.
3. It does not allow proteins in the muscles to break down, prevents muscle atrophy - anabolic effect.
4. Limits the accumulation of ketone bodies, an excessive amount of which is deadly to humans.
5. Promotes the transport of potassium and magnesium ions.

The role of insulin in the human body

The deficiency of the hormone is associated with a disease called diabetes mellitus. Those suffering from this disease are forced to regularly inject additional insulin doses into the blood. The other extreme is an excess of the hormone, hypoglycemia. This disease leads to an increase in blood pressure and a decrease in the elasticity of blood vessels. It enhances the increase in insulin secretion, the hormone glucagon, produced by the alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas.

Insulin dependent tissues

Insulin stimulates the production of protein in the muscles, without which muscle tissue is not able to develop. The formation of adipose tissue, which normally performs vital functions, is impossible without a hormone. Patients who develop diabetes face ketoacidosis, a form of metabolic disorder in which shock intracellular starvation occurs.

blood insulin level

The functions of insulin include maintaining the right amount of glucose in the blood, regulating the metabolism of fats and proteins, and transforming nutrients into muscle mass. At a normal level of a substance, the following happens:

• protein synthesis for building muscles;
• the balance of metabolism and catabolism is maintained;
• stimulates the synthesis of glycogen, which increases endurance and regeneration of muscle cells;
• amino acids, glucose, potassium enter the cells.

Norm

The concentration of insulin is measured in mcU / ml (0.04082 mg of a crystalline substance is taken per unit). Healthy people have an indicator equal to 3-25 such units. For children, a decrease to 3-20 mcU / ml is allowed. In pregnant women, the norm is different - 6-27 mcU / ml, in older people over 60 years old, this figure is 6-35. A change in the norm indicates the presence of serious diseases.

elevated

Prolonged excess of normal insulin levels threatens with irreversible pathological changes. This condition occurs due to a drop in sugar levels. You can understand the excess of insulin concentration by signs: trembling, sweating, heart palpitations, sudden bouts of hunger, nausea, fainting, coma. The following indicators affect the increase in hormone levels:

• intense physical activity;
• chronic stress;
• diseases of the liver and pancreas;
• obesity;
• violation of cell resistance to carbohydrates;
• polycystic ovaries;
• malfunction of the pituitary gland;
• cancer and benign tumors of the adrenal glands.

Reduced

A decrease in insulin concentration occurs due to stress, intense physical exertion, nervous exhaustion, daily consumption of large amounts of refined carbohydrates. Lack of insulin blocks the flow of glucose, increasing its concentration. As a result, there is a strong thirst, anxiety, sudden attacks of hunger, irritability, frequent urination. Due to the similar symptoms of low and high insulin, diagnosis is carried out by special studies.

What is insulin for diabetics made of?

The issue of raw materials for the manufacture of the hormone worries many patients. Insulin in the human body is produced by the pancreas, and the following types are obtained artificially:

1. Pork or bovine - animal origin. The pancreas of animals is used for production. In the preparation of pork raw materials, there is proinsulin, which cannot be separated, it becomes a source of allergic reactions.
2. Biosynthetic or porcine modified - a semi-synthetic drug is obtained by replacing amino acids. Among the advantages are compatibility with the human body and the absence of allergies. Disadvantages - shortage of raw materials, complexity of work, high cost.
3. Genetically engineered recombinant - otherwise called "human insulin", because it is completely identical to the natural hormone. The substance is produced by enzymes of yeast strains and genetically modified Escherichia coli.

Instructions for use of insulin

The functions of insulin are very important for the human body. If you are a diabetic, you have a doctor's referral and a prescription for free medicines at pharmacies or hospitals. In case of urgent need, it can be bought without a prescription, but the dosage must be observed. To avoid overdose, read the instructions for use of insulin.

Indications for use

According to the instructions enclosed in each package of insulin preparation, indications for its use are type 1 diabetes mellitus (it is also called insulin-dependent) and in some cases type 2 diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent). These factors include intolerance to oral hypoglycemic agents, the development of ketosis.

Insulin administration

The doctor prescribes the medication after diagnosis and blood tests. For the treatment of diabetes mellitus, drugs of different duration of action are used: short and long-term. The choice depends on the severity of the course of the disease, the condition of the patient, the speed of the onset of action of the remedy:

1. The short-acting drug is intended for subcutaneous, intravenous or intramuscular administration. It is characterized by a quick, short-term sugar-lowering effect, it is administered minutes before meals several times / day. The effect occurs in half an hour, a maximum of two hours, in total it lasts about six hours.
2. Long or prolonged action - has an effect lasting hours, allows you to reduce the daily number of injections. Suspensions are administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously, but not intravenously.

Syringes are used to facilitate administration and dosage compliance. One division corresponds to a certain number of units. Rules for insulin therapy:

• store the drugs in the refrigerator, and the started ones at room temperature, warm the product before entering, because the cool one is weaker;
• it is better to inject a short-acting hormone under the skin of the abdomen - introduced into the thigh or above the buttock acts more slowly, even worse - into the shoulder;
• a long-acting drug is injected into the left or right thigh;
• do each injection in a different zone;
• with insulin injections, capture the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe body part - this way you can avoid soreness and seals;
• retreat at least 2 cm from the place of the last injection;
• do not treat the skin with alcohol, it destroys insulin;
• if the liquid flows out, the needle was inserted incorrectly - you need to hold it at an angle of degrees.

Side effects

With subcutaneous administration of drugs, lipodystrophy may develop at the injection site. Very rarely, but there are allergic reactions. If they occur, symptomatic therapy and replacement of the agent are required. Contraindications for admission are:

• acute hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, jaundice, pancreatitis;
• nephritis, urolithiasis;
• decompensated heart disease.

The price of insulin

The cost of insulin depends on the type of manufacturer, the type of drug (short/long duration of action, starting material) and the volume of packaging. The price of 50 ml of Insulinum is approximately 150 rubles in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Insuman with a syringe pen - 1200, Protafan suspension has a price of about 930 rubles. How much insulin costs is also affected by the level of the pharmacy.

Video

The information presented in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

How does insulin affect the body?

Insulin is a hormone that the human body produces in specialized cells in the pancreas. The function of this hormone is to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Deficiency of insulin causes diseases such as diabetes, but thanks to the discovery and availability of insulin, people with diabetes can live normal lives.

Insulin preparations should be administered subcutaneously, using syringes and special dispensers for this. The symptoms of diabetes subside during the administration of these drugs, but this is not synonymous with the treatment of the disease. Relapses of symptoms of diabetes are observed after discontinuation of insulin preparations.

Mechanism of action of insulin

As already known, insulin is a universal hormone. It helps in ensuring all metabolic processes in our body. The role of this hormone is to act on target cells, into which excess glucose from the blood is transported during carbohydrate metabolism.

The mechanism of action of insulin increases the storage of glucose in the liver as glycogen, and also stimulates protein synthesis in the body.

Adipose tissue, muscles, and the liver respond most actively to insulin. Therefore, these cells process all the sugar that was deposited by insulin, and also store it in reserve in case of energy hunger. At the same time, glucose is deposited in the form of glycogen. And if the body needs it, glucose is released from glycogen into the circulatory system.

The effect of insulin in the body

The main action of insulin is to ensure proper use of glucose in the human body. Unused glucose is excreted from the body in the urine. In such a situation, there is a lack of energy in the body, thus, the use of body fats is included. An increase in fat metabolism and excretion of excess glucose in the urine causes typical symptoms of diabetes, namely:

An increase in insulin deficiency can lead to acidosis. Insulin preparations used in the treatment of diabetes were until recently collected from the pancreas of pigs and cattle. The process of obtaining drugs was quite complicated and therefore requires special production from tissue taken from animals for slaughter. To obtain a dose of insulin for one year of treatment of a patient, 7 kg of tissue taken from the pancreas of animals will be needed. Thus, the production of insulin is not only complex, but also costly.

In the 1980s, using genetic engineering methods, the production of human insulin began using baker's yeast and E. coli bacteria, which is the natural habitat of the living human digestive tract.

These microorganisms have been "reprogrammed" to produce insulin. They possess, in addition to the self-management of proteins, the synthesis of insulin. The production of bacteria provides a huge amount of insulin, similar to the natural one that is produced in the human body. The similarity of the chemical structure of artificial insulin and natural insulin is of great importance in the rate of its absorption in tissues, as well as in the effectiveness of insulin action on the body.