How Does Insulin Resistance Affect Menopausal Women?Insulin Resistance is of particular concern to women with weight worries because it disrupts fat metabolism, especially during menopause. When the cells won't absorb the extra glucose in the bloodstream because of Insulin Resistance, the liver has to convert it into fat. Ironically, while the Insulin-Resistant woman is gaining weight, her cells are actually "starved" for glucose, so she feels exhausted and tends to eat carbohydrate-heavy foods in search of energy. A woman's health can deteriorate rapidly during menopause with the decrease of estrogen stores in the body. And digestive issues that were once merely a hassle become an affliction when the body's natural defenses against inflammation (estrogen being one) are depleted. In addition, women approaching menopause are particularly prone to becoming Insulin Resistant due to metabolic changes related to fluctuations in adrenal and thyroid secretions. In fact, the decrease of certain hormones, like estradiol, may trigger a sensitivity to insulin in patients who never experienced it before. Certain blood pressure medications can mask symptoms without treating the problem. Frequently, women unwittingly make their symptoms worse by fighting weight gain with low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets. Insulin Resistance has many factors that contribute to its presence in the body. In essence, our environment and lifestyles have evolved too rapidly for our bodies to keep pace. We are still genetically "wired" to thrive on the entrenched habits of our ancestors who consumed different, nutrient-rich foods, a diet low in carbohydrates and also sustained greater levels of movement and exercise. Some people may also have a genetic predisposition to Insulin Resistance. Others develop Insulin Resistance through unhealthy lifestyles. Over time, the above factors have damaged the complex ability of our bodies' cells to properly utilize insulin to convert glucose to energy. Unhealthy diets cause the pancreas to overproduce insulin that overwhelms the cell which, in turn, protects itself by reducing the number of receptor sites on its surface. This results in devastating effects: - Insulin, which acts like a key in a lock, is less effective in opening up the cell and allowing glucose in to be converted to energy.
- Without enough receptor sites, insulin bounces off the cell and enters the blood stream where it causes a variety of conditions including unbalanced hormones such as in PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and Cardiovascular Disease.
- Unable to enter the cell, glucose is converted to fat, leading to weight gain which can result in obesity.
- Eventually many health-related functions fail and cause numerous serious diseases besides PCOS, such as Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X) and Pre-Diabetes leading to Type 2 Diabetes.
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