Welcome to Keto Sister. Last week’s post explained what happens to blood glucose levels as a result of eating a ketogenic diet. In sum, Glyco Care blood sugar supplement glucose (also known as blood sugar) decreases and is replaced in large part by a new fuel source, ketone bodies. Humans are always being fueled by two energy substrates: glucose and fatty acids. A person who eats a high carbohydrate diet burns more glucose as fuel, and a person who eats a high fat diet burns more fat as fuel. However, there is never a time at which a person stops burning one or the other. The implication for someone eating a low carb diet is that the body never replaces all glucose utilization with ketone bodies. Instead, the body reduces its glucose needs to the bare minimum and then it makes any needed glucose not taken in through the diet through gluconeogenesis. This is the normal, healthy process of fueling the body in the absence of dietary glucose.
There are many benefits of ketogenic nutrition when a ketogenic diet is implemented correctly. One of the benefits of eating low carb is blood glucose control, and this can be a big benefit to those who struggle with type 2 diabetes and obesity. As I mentioned last week, ideal blood glucose levels are between 81 and 109 milligrams per deciliter (see this post for details). However, it is a common occurrence for those following a very low carb diet to have elevated blood glucose levels. I mentioned the first two causes last week, GlycoCares.netbitter melon extract but there is a third that is rarely discussed by those in the low carb arena. Admittedly, these concepts are not well understood by most people. Physiological Insulin Resistance (PhIR). Eating a low carb diet in and of itself can induce a type of insulin resistance. How is that possible? When a person reduces dietary carbohydrates drastically, the body adapts quickly to the reduction in carbs and can think that it is experiencing a glucose deficiency.
PhIR occurs in this instance to ensure that there is enough glucose to fuel the brain. The brain signals the rest of the body to reduce its sensitivity to insulin. This makes it so that the glucose that circulates in the blood stays in the blood rather than being taken up by muscles and for other functions that would normally pull glucose out of the blood. Instead, glucose remains available to the brain and for a few other essential functions that require glucose, such as in the thyroid and red blood cells. PhIR is often detected by an elevated fasting glucose, taken first thing in the morning before any food has been eaten. A PhIR-induced elevated blood glucose often comes down after meals because the intake of nutrition signals the body that more glucose is coming. PhIR is a protective mechanism in the body, a survival mechanism, to help the body survive what is perceived as a temporary deficiency. While we know that the short term effects appear to be relatively harmless, the long term consequences of this state are unknown.
The fact is that PhIR is still insulin resistance. If someone with PhIR were to take a glucose tolerance test, the person would fail miserably. Thank goodness this does not happen often, but I find any condition that induces insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose to be troubling. Whether it is PhIR or "actual" insulin resistance, elevated blood glucose is not an ideal state for too long (again, see this post for details). One way to eliminate this is to increase carbs in the diet. PhIR is most likely to happen to people eating 20-30 grams net carbs per day for months or years on end. I have advised clients to increase carbs to the highest level they can tolerate, depending upon their ultimate goals. Usually when people who were eating 20 grams carbs increase to 40-50 grams per day, PhIR disappears. When the body realizes that there is glucose available, it often ceases the signal of insulin resistance and fasting glucose levels come down.
