Dr. Benjamin Bikman, a professor and expert in obesity and metabolic disorders, dives into the hidden epidemic of insulin resistance. He explains how insulin resistance connects to chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and even reproductive health, including surprising links to erectile dysfunction. Dr. Bikman emphasizes the importance of insulin's role in our health, particularly in managing diabetes, and offers practical strategies for reversing insulin resistance through diet and lifestyle changes.
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insights INSIGHT
Insulin's Crucial Role
Insulin is a hormone that regulates energy use in every body cell.
Without insulin, cells cannot absorb and utilize energy from food, leading to severe health issues.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Type 1 Diabetes and Energy Use
Untreated Type 1 diabetics can have a large appetite but still waste away.
This happens because their bodies cannot process energy without insulin, highlighting its importance.
insights INSIGHT
Insulin Resistance Explained
Insulin resistance involves some cells not responding correctly to insulin, leading to elevated insulin levels.
This excess insulin affects other insulin-sensitive cells, causing further problems.
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In "Why We Get Sick," Dr. Ben Bikman explores the profound impact of insulin on human health. He delves into the intricate mechanisms of insulin action, revealing its role not only in glucose metabolism but also in various diseases. The book challenges conventional wisdom, offering a fresh perspective on the causes and treatment of chronic illnesses. Bikman presents a comprehensive overview of insulin's multifaceted effects, highlighting its influence on inflammation, fat storage, and cellular processes. He emphasizes the importance of understanding insulin's role in achieving optimal health and well-being.
Cancer. Alzheimer's. Heart disease. Diabetes. Infertility. While these prevalent and dreaded diseases are caused by multiple factors, my guest says they also all share a common thread: a ubiquitous and too-little-understood condition called insulin resistance.
His name is Dr. Benjamin Bikman and he's a professor of biology and physiology, an expert in obesity and metabolic disorders, and the author of Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease — and How to Fight It. Ben begins our conversation by explaining insulin's role in the body, how it goes awry when it comes to Type I and II diabetes, and how giving Type II diabetics insulin to treat their disease actually makes them “fatter and sicker, and kills them faster.” We then turn to the fact that even if you don't have diabetes, you very likely still have insulin resistance (something helpful to keep in mind during this conversation is that "insulin resistance" is bad and "insulin sensitivity" is good), and the condition's three primary causes. Benjamin then unpacks how insulin resistance correlates with cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive health problems, including the fact that erectile dysfunction isn't a function of low testosterone, but insulin resistance. We then talk about the role of insulin resistance in someone's susceptibility to COVID-19. We end our conversation with the four pillars of reversing insulin resistance, including the role of diet and physical activity, and how these lifestyle changes can work to help relatively healthy people get healthier, all the way up to allowing diabetics to get off their medication.
I can't tell you how motivating this conversation was for me to start a habit of walking more during the day, as well as after dinner. I bet it will have the same effect on you.
The Art of Manliness 
