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THE IMPACT OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
ON THE AGING PROCESS (4)
Rashid Buttar, D. O. and Andrew Halpner, Ph. D.
EFAs and insulin resistance
When we measure serum glucose levels early in this process, the glucose levels will register within the normal reference, giving both the clinician and patient a false sense of security. Unless the physiology is understood properly, the clinician will fail to recognize the development of insulin resistance, which is an early stage of type 2 diabetes.
In addition to the serum glucose level, an insulin level should be measured after an appropriate glucose load. This can be achieved by ingesting, 30 minutes prior to the serum insulin draw, eight ounces of orange juice and two white pieces of toast and jam. If the serum insulin level is above 20 ng/ dl, 30 minutes after consuming the above, then insulin resistance is an issue that must be corrected.
Potential consequences of insulin resistance
If insulin resistance is not recognized or corrected, and left to progress, the body will eventually maximize its production of insulin, until it can no longer compensate for the higher glucose levels. At this point, when the pancreas can no longer sustain its higher insulin output, the serum glucose values rise. Eventually, the clinician will initiate oral hypoglycemic drug therapy. This too will eventually fail and necessitate the use of insulin injection therapy to keep glucose levels within expectable measures.
Omega-3s and sugar levels
Failure to diagnose and treat insulin resistance leads to a gradual increase in the required dose of injectable insulin. Fortunately, supplemental omega-3 FAs can reverse insulin resistance due to increased omega-6 FA composition of the cell membrane. In fact, in patients who have required insulin injection therapy for years, glucose levels have dropped precipitously when omega-3 FA supplementation was started. Acute hypoglycemic events have resulted. This is easily corrected by decreasing the amount of insulin administered. It also offers further evidence that the omega-3 FAs sensitize the cell membrane to the effects of insulin.
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