Over 80 million Americans now have insulin resistance—also known as pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome—a condition where the muscles, fat, and liver do not respond well to insulin and cannot efficiently utilize glucose for energy. To compensate for it, the pancreas is forced to make more and more insulin. Eventually, your blood sugar levels go up. Insulin resistance accelerates the aging process and increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, and dementia.
To know if you have insulin resistance, you will need to have your doctor measure your fasting glucose level along with your fasting insulin level. Once you have that information, you can calculate your HOMA IR index number. Less than 1.0 means you are insulin-sensitive which is optimal. Above 1.9 indicates early insulin resistance. Above 2.9 indicates significant insulin resistance.
These herbs, spices, and food can help reverse insulin resistance and restore and maintain insulin sensitivity:
- Curcumin: This is the active ingredient in turmeric. The recommended dose is 250 mg per day.
- Ginger: The recommended dose is 1600 mg per day.
- Cinnamon: The recommended dose of Ceylon cinnamon is a half-teaspoon daily.
- Olive Leaf Extract: The recommended dose is 500 mg twice daily.
- Berries: A better choice for dessert are strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
- Nigella Sativa (black seed): The recommended dose is 2 grams per day.
- Spirulina powder: The recommended dose is 19 grams per day. May be blended into a smoothie.
- Berberine: The recommended dose is 500 mg twice daily.
Because insulin resistance is a medical condition, it is important to have your doctor supervise the use of the above remedies and recheck your HOMA IR index from time to time.
