How To Reverse Diabetes Type 2 (Explanation, Before / After)

Summary

The speaker explains the concept of insulin resistance as a protective mechanism rather than a harmful condition, using analogies like overeating and overcharging a battery. Insulin resistance occurs when cells have enough glucose and 'close their mouths' to avoid overload, which prevents cellular damage. This process, misunderstood as the cause of diabetes, actually saves cells from being overwhelmed by excess glucose. The speaker encourages managing metabolic health through diet and lifestyle changes rather than relying on supplements or medication, promoting glucose balance without excessive carb intake.

Takeaways

• 🛡️ Insulin resistance is a protective mechanism rather than a pathological condition; it helps cells manage energy overload and prevent damage.
• 🍰 The analogy of Bruce from Matilda eating too much cake illustrates how the body signals when it has reached its energy capacity.
• 🔋 Just like a battery can only store a limited amount of charge, cells have a limited capacity for glucose intake before they must stop to avoid damage.
• 🚫 Insulin resistance occurs when cells no longer need more glucose, leading them to 'close' glucose channels (GLUT4), which prevents further glucose intake.
• ⚡ The body produces glucose even without external carbohydrates through gluconeogenesis, which supplies the exact amount of glucose required.
• 💪 Exercise prompts the body to produce glucose naturally from stored glycogen, without the need for dietary carbohydrates.
• 🥄 Constantly eating carbs forces the body to manage an overload of glucose, causing cells to protect themselves by becoming insulin resistant.
• 📉 Insulin resistance is not the cause of diabetes but a response to excess glucose; avoiding constant carb intake can help reduce insulin resistance.
• 🔄 The Randall cycle prevents excess glucose from entering cells, acting as a critical mechanism to maintain cellular health.
• 🚫 Supplements are not a magic solution for diabetes; proper diet is the most powerful method to control insulin levels and improve metabolic health.

Q & A

What is the main point the speaker is making about insulin resistance?

The speaker argues that insulin resistance is not a harmful condition, but rather a protective mechanism that prevents cells from taking in excess glucose, which could otherwise damage them.

How does the speaker use the analogy of Bruce from Matilda to explain insulin resistance?

The speaker compares Bruce's reaction to overeating cake, where his body signals him to stop, to the way cells protect themselves by becoming insulin-resistant when they've received enough glucose. This is to prevent further damage from excess intake.

What role does insulin play in glucose regulation according to the script?

Insulin facilitates the entry of glucose into cells. However, if cells have enough energy, they stop accepting glucose, which results in insulin resistance as a protective measure.

What happens when cells reach their capacity for glucose?

When cells reach their capacity for glucose, they become insulin-resistant, essentially 'closing their mouth' to stop further glucose intake to prevent cellular damage.

What is gluconeogenesis, and how does it help maintain blood glucose levels?

Gluconeogenesis is the process by which the body generates glucose internally, even in the absence of dietary carbohydrates. It helps maintain stable blood glucose levels, providing the exact amount needed, especially during activities like exercise.

Why does the speaker claim insulin resistance is a life-saving mechanism?

The speaker claims insulin resistance is life-saving because it protects cells from being overloaded with glucose, which could lead to cellular damage and bioenergetic instability.

What is the Randall cycle, and how is it related to the concept of insulin resistance?

The Randall cycle, discovered in 1963, explains how cells manage the balance between fat and glucose as energy sources. It helps to prevent excess glucose from damaging cells, supporting the speaker's point that insulin resistance is a protective mechanism.

What happens to glucose that can't enter cells due to insulin resistance?

Glucose that can't enter cells remains in the bloodstream, where it can damage cells in the circulatory system, as these cells are less complex and more easily replaced, but sustained damage leads to chronic health problems.

How does the speaker explain the rise in blood glucose during exercise even without carbohydrate consumption?

During exercise, the body senses a need for more energy and triggers the breakdown of glycogen to produce glucose. This raises blood glucose levels even without carbohydrate consumption, showing the body can regulate energy production efficiently.

What is the speaker's stance on supplements for managing diabetes?

The speaker believes that most supplements do not significantly help manage diabetes and that diet is far more important. While some supplements may have a place, they can't reverse diabetes if the root cause, such as excessive carbohydrate intake, is not addressed.

Outlines

00:00

💉 Understanding Insulin Resistance

The speaker begins by addressing the concept of insulin resistance, emphasizing that it is not a negative condition but rather a protective mechanism for the body. They explain that insulin resistance is often misunderstood as the cause of health issues when it is actually a response to an overload of glucose in the bloodstream. The analogy of forcing cake on someone until they feel sick illustrates how the body signals when it has reached its limit. Similarly, charging a battery beyond its capacity can lead to dangerous outcomes. The speaker uses these examples to explain how insulin resistance works: when cells are flooded with more glucose than they can handle, they 'close their mouths' to prevent further glucose intake, thus protecting the cells from damage.

05:01

🔋 The Cellular Response to Overload

In this section, the speaker delves deeper into how cells respond to an excess of glucose. They explain the process of gluconeogenesis, where the body produces glucose as needed without the consumption of carbohydrates. The analogy of a battery being charged to 100% and then stopping is used to illustrate how the body maintains a balance. The speaker then discusses what happens when more glucose is introduced into the bloodstream than the cells can handle, leading to the cell's protective response of closing the glucose transporter (GLUT4). This mechanism is likened to Bruce not wanting more cake, where the feeling of sickness leads to a physical response to prevent further intake. The speaker argues that insulin resistance is not a pathology but a natural defense against bioenergetic instability.

10:02

🍰 The Impact of Diet on Insulin Resistance

The final paragraph addresses the role of diet in insulin resistance. The speaker argues that the problem lies not in the concept of insulin resistance but in the external factors, such as dietary habits, that cause blood glucose levels to rise beyond what the body considers necessary. They suggest that by reducing carbohydrate intake, one can observe a normalization of insulin-related processes, potentially reversing a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. The speaker also touches on the limitations of medical education regarding the understanding of insulin resistance and encourages viewers to experiment with their diet to observe the effects on their glucose levels. They conclude by emphasizing the importance of proper diet over supplements for maintaining health and preventing disease.

Keywords

💡Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance refers to the body's cells becoming less responsive to insulin, making it harder for glucose to enter the cells. In the video, insulin resistance is portrayed not as a problem, but as a protective mechanism that prevents excessive glucose from entering cells and causing damage. This concept is central to the video's theme, as it challenges the traditional view of insulin resistance being the cause of diabetes, suggesting it instead serves to save cells from overload.

💡Glucose

Glucose is a simple sugar that is a primary source of energy for cells. In the video, the speaker explains how glucose enters the bloodstream from dietary carbohydrates and how insulin signals cells to take in glucose. When too much glucose is present, it can damage cells, leading to the protective mechanism of insulin resistance. The analogy of forcing Bruce to eat more cake than he can handle is used to explain how excess glucose overwhelms the body.

💡Gluconeogenesis

Gluconeogenesis is the process by which the body produces glucose from non-carbohydrate sources, like amino acids. The video mentions that even when no dietary carbohydrates are consumed, the body can maintain blood glucose levels through this process, providing exactly the amount of glucose needed. This contrasts with external glucose intake, which can lead to excess levels and insulin resistance.

💡GLUT-4

GLUT-4 is a type of glucose transporter that helps glucose enter cells. In the video, it is compared to a mouth that 'closes' when cells have received enough glucose, preventing more glucose from entering. This closing mechanism is described as a protective measure, helping cells avoid damage from excessive glucose intake.

💡Randall Cycle

The Randall Cycle is a metabolic pathway that regulates the use of fats and carbohydrates as energy sources. The video briefly touches on the Randall Cycle as an important discovery related to metabolism, explaining that it helps prevent cells from being damaged by excess glucose. Although the speaker does not go into detail, this cycle is mentioned as part of the body's protective mechanisms.

💡Beta Cells

Beta cells are found in the pancreas and are responsible for producing insulin. The video explains that when carbohydrates are consumed, beta cells release insulin in response to rising blood glucose levels. The speaker emphasizes the role of beta cells in managing glucose but also notes that insulin resistance occurs when cells no longer need additional glucose.

💡Blood Glucose Levels

Blood glucose levels refer to the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream. The video discusses how consuming external carbohydrates raises blood glucose levels, and how insulin is responsible for regulating this. When levels are too high, insulin resistance occurs as a way to protect cells. The video also mentions that blood glucose levels can rise even without consuming carbohydrates due to the body's natural processes, like during exercise.

💡Cytolysis

Cytolysis is the destruction of cells due to damage, often from an imbalance of water or energy within the cell. In the video, the speaker explains that insulin resistance prevents cytolysis by stopping excess glucose from entering cells, which could otherwise lead to cell death. The concept is used to reinforce the idea that insulin resistance is a life-saving mechanism.

💡HbA1c

HbA1c is a blood test that measures average blood glucose levels over the past few months. The video mentions HbA1c as a tool for tracking glucose metabolism but points out that it does not account for other sugars like fructose, which can also be harmful. The speaker suggests that relying on HbA1c alone may not provide a full picture of metabolic health.

💡Fructose

Fructose is a type of sugar often found alongside glucose in natural foods. In the video, the speaker briefly touches on fructose's role in metabolism, warning that it can have damaging effects similar to glucose. He hints at the fact that fructose metabolism may play a role in fat production and liver stress, and promises to discuss its dangers in more detail in a future video.

Highlights

Insulin resistance is a protective mechanism that prevents cells from being damaged by excessive glucose.

The concept of insulin resistance is not the cause of diabetes, but a way for the body to protect itself from excessive energy intake.

Cells, like batteries, have a fixed capacity for energy, and when they receive more than they can handle, they shut down pathways to prevent overload.

When we consume too many carbohydrates, the cells close their 'mouth' (GLUT4) to prevent excess glucose from entering and damaging the cells.

Gluconeogenesis is the process by which the body creates its own glucose when needed, and this happens without the intake of carbohydrates.

Excess glucose in the bloodstream can damage circulatory system cells, which are replaced more frequently due to their less complex structure.

Insulin resistance is part of a natural biological process selected over millions of years to protect cells from bioenergetic instability.

In diabetes, the issue isn't insulin resistance but the overconsumption of carbohydrates that overwhelms the body's glucose regulation mechanisms.

The Randall cycle, a metabolic discovery from 1963, explains how cells regulate energy intake and protect themselves from excess glucose.

Gluconeogenesis ensures the body only produces the exact amount of glucose needed for energy, preventing overload when carbohydrates are not consumed.

The analogy of Bruce from 'Matilda' being forced to eat cake illustrates how the body signals when it has had enough, similar to insulin resistance.

Measuring glucose levels via HBA1C may not give a complete picture, as it doesn't account for the damaging effects of fructose in the body.

Fructose, often found alongside glucose, has its own damaging effects and should be considered when evaluating metabolic health.

The speaker emphasizes that reversing type 2 diabetes can be achieved through dietary changes, often within 3 to 4 weeks.

Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) show that blood glucose levels can remain stable even without carbohydrate intake, supporting the idea of gluconeogenesis.

Transcripts

I know saying insulin resistance saves

your life sounds a bit weird but once

you delve deep into it it does actually

make sense that's not clickbait and

you'll understand exactly why it's a

true statement to explain the cause of

so-call insulin resistance and and

really give lay people a full

understanding in such a way that you can

take control of your metabolic Health

without relying on on doctors like

myself uh and and yes I am one I'm going

to go into analogy

that even kids can understand and then

equate those to the bioenergetics

surrounding this concept that we label

as inulin

resistance apologies if you find the

analogies patronizing but if you do then

and clearly they're not meant for you

and you can just skip ahead I'm going to

use them so that even kids in school can

watch this and learn it as early as

possible in life uh when Bruce from the

film Matilda was forced to eat cake he

loved it to start with but eventually

there was so much cake put in him that

his b body naturally signaled him to

stop with things like feelings of being

sick and maybe some abdominal pain etc

etc the body recognized it's dangerous

to have more so it sent these signals if

someone does that Force feeding to you

you'll get to a point where you

physically put your hands up to block

your mouth even uh there was a

protective process that prevented

further food from going into his mouth

in order to save him from serious issues

I'm sure this is pretty easy to

understand when we charge a battery

there's only so much charge you can you

can put into it now I'm not going to go

into what charge is because we'd be here

all day discussing whether anyone can

actually Define an electron but for what

it's worth if you try to force more

charge uh than is storable into a

battery somehow like in a car I think

it's pretty safe to say that something

potentially dangerous is going to happen

maybe even some sort of explosion if the

batter is big enough and your charging

process is strong enough enough

too both of these are pretty easy

analogies to follow I'm sure they

represent trying to put chemical or

electrical energy into something that

has a fixed capacity of what it can take

in but when it comes to diabetes people

think insulin resistance is the cause

insulin resistance as you're about to

see from transferring these analogies is

the way your cells save your life like

Bruce's Body making him feel sick to get

him to stop because the cells only have

a fixed capacity of what they can take

in just like Bruce a stomach or a

hypothetical battery let me explain and

I'll try to use layman's terms as much

as possible again when we eat

carbohydrates this puts externally

source to glucose into our bloodstream

in other words it's glucose not from our

own body making it on purpose to be in

the bloodstream which can come about

during things like exercise this is this

is the most potent signal that we have

to tell cells in the pancreas called

beta cells to make insulin alpha cells

are something else they make glucagon

which is a different topic for a

different day there are other things

that can also signal insulin production

too um but they're going to be less

potent like certain amino acids like

Lucine to name just one but dietary

carbohydrates are you the most potent

inducer of insulin production than

things like Lucine or certain amino

acids now once the insulin is around

people jump to thinking that glucose is

then going into the cells and that's

great this is where you get con

misunderstandings and I'm going to

challenge your thoughts on this if the

cell needs energy to carry its jobs and

glucose which provides energy going into

it can be

beneficial but what if the cells don't

need more energy when we feed Bruce it

can be fine if he's hungry but what

about when he's so full that he wants to

throw up because his body needs to take

drastic measures to get him to

stop if we charge a battery when it's

empty I'm sure it's fine but if it's

charged and then we some

try to get a big machine to overload it

beyond what it needs do you think you're

going to be safe during that

process let's pretend we don't eat any

carbs so there's no externally sourced

blood glucose how do you think people

like myself have a blood glucose level

when we eat no carbs well we have one

because our body can make glucose by

itself when never needed using a process

called glucon neo genesis glucose new

make and gu guess what it makes exactly

the right amount that's needed we we

feed Bruce just the right amount to

satisfy his hunger but not make him sick

we charge the battery just the right

amount to reach 100% And then stop our

body knows what level is needed at all

times as a result of millions of years

of evolution this is why when I do

exercise my continuous glucose monitor

shows my blood glucose Rising even when

I didn't eat carbs because my body

senses a need for more energy due to

exercise and then it desdes to produce

some by breaking down glucose stores

called glycogen and then charging my

battery only enough to reach 100% by

sending the perfect amount of glucose to

cells using the bloodstream but it only

sends the exact amount needed but what

happens when we put more than is needed

into the bloodstream for example by

using externally sourced carbohydrates

when your cell has been supplied with

enough already thanks to glucon Genesis

so now we're forcing in more than is

technically needed by forcing glucose

from an area of high concentration I the

bloodstream to of to an area of

relatively low concentration I.E the

cell inside the cell in other words it

moves down its concentration gradient

which is a technical term water moves in

the same way down concentration

gradients or water potential gradients

inside organisms but when more water is

needed is forced into a cell it can

actually damage the cell this concept of

putting in more than is needed being

damaging is the same for glucose too I

know some may not believe me but you can

see the proof of this in your own body

if you wish so you can test to see if

it's true just keep putting in more and

more carbohydrates in your mouth and

watch your glucose level sustain for

long periods of time because insulin

isn't clearing it a crude example again

is Bruce feeling sick to stop more cake

coming in in order to prevent damage

that feeling of being sick makes him

close his mouth in the analogy and it

has an equivalent in the cell when the

cell feels sick from too much cake

glucose it closes its mouth too it

closes it to stop more glucose entering

and it happens because glucose

represents energy and cells like

batteries can only cope with so much at

one time without getting damaged the

mouth closing on the cell is called glut

four which stands for glucose

transporter four this cellular mouth

shuts out glucose because it does want

any anymore and when that happens

insulin can no longer open this mouth to

put more glucose in you see we have

protection mechanisms in ourselves to

make sure too much of anything doesn't

come in whether it's something like

water which which isn't done with glut

for by the way or in this case glucose

it's what prevents cell death or if you

want to know the technical term

cytolysis this is why so-called insulin

resistance is is a mechanism of saving

your life it's a mechanism that prevents

Sal death from catastrophic bioenergetic

instability to use a technical phrase

for a second forgive me happens because

of an observable phenomena called the

Randall cycle discovered by S Philip

Randall and published in 1963 it's a

really important Discovery in the field

of metabolism um but it's too big to go

into for this video right now otherwise

it'll be even longer than I I planned it

to be uh maybe I can do it in another

video sometime but in short in a

nutshell it exists to stop ose from

damaging cells from being inside them in

in too high a quantity relative to the

ideal amount so I always teach my

patients to realize that this thing that

we term insulin resistance it's it's not

a pathology or a problem and it's

certainly isn't the cause of diabetes

it's it's a protection mechanism that's

meant to occur in order to save

ourselves it's a normal uh it's it's a

required biological pathway that's been

selected for over millions of years to

ensure our survival and subsequent

Optimal Health and and and and function

and and ability to

reproduce What happens when we shut that

glute for mouth then well apart from

being given the label of someone who's

insulin resistant now that's not the end

of the story because if the door shut

the glucose has to go somewhere even if

it can't go into the cells the cake

still has to go somewhere even if Bruce

doesn't want to eat it does someone else

have it or does it end up in the bin

sorry if the analogies are a bit

patronizing but I'm kind of speaking

speaking to my uh Teenage self here and

telling him things I wish I'd known when

I was younger um well basically the

glucose ends up with someone else

specifically when it hangs around in the

bloodstream it can then cause damage to

cells of the circulatory system and this

happens because these cells are more

able to be sacrificed because the the

cells themselves are a little bit less

complex in structure and so they replace

more often partly because being less

complex means they're easy to make so a

library book that gets replaced very

often can take damages to its Pages

because it will be replaced by a new one

very soon anyway those cells in the

circulation system will replace more

rapidly so they can take some short-term

sacrifice to their Pages before the

librarian gets a replacement copy

brought in in a few months time from the

bone marrow if the new ones get damaged

too and it just never stops then

obviously you got chronic issues and and

your health is just going to decline

like this when we look at Evolution just

to State the obvious for a second bear

with me we didn't have Uber Eats 100,000

years ago to have any amount of food any

number of times placed in our laps with

practically Zero Energy spent to obtain

it so we clearly haven't evolved with

repeated or constant external glucose

loading on the blood as a darwinian

positive selection pressure so we're not

adapted in my opinion only for for what

it's worth um to be eating carbs all day

non-stop and we can maintain our blood

glucose with great consistency even

without eating carbs in the diet hence

my consistent glucose level without

eating any carbs and if you think about

it for those that disagree which you're

welcome to of course the very existence

of the process of gluconeogenesis is the

ability you know I.E the the the ability

we have to make glucose anytime we need

and always in the exact amount required

from other

materials that wouldn't have existed if

we needed to eat carbohydrates

overall the disease process or the

problem in things like diabetes isn't

the concept of insulin resistance it's

instead it's it's the thing that causes

that glut for mouth and the cell to

close which is externally sourced

glucose making blood levels of glucose

rise more than the body deems necessary

in such a way that the cell then needs

to protect itself from your diet and

lifestyle choices and again you can try

this yourself to try and prove me wrong

if you wish um just over carbs watch

your insulin resistance take form to

gain a Diabetes Type 2 diagnosis then

stop the carbs and then watch the

insulin related processes normalize

again so that you're no longer

diabetic this is why there's no magic

supplement that reverses diabetes can

take a supplement but if your battery is

still being overcharged and it still

won't let any more electricity in will

it if you're still putting carbs in your

mouth and the glute 4 will still be

closed to any glucose that turns up I

really urge you to stop believing in

supplements that can suddenly cure

things sure supplements and neutrals can

have a place in someone's diet at times

but the most powerful anti-aging thing

anyone can do is to just Eat Right

supplements and things are are great

ways for companies to make extra cash

most of the time there's very few that

are actually credible and that I

personally have seen make significant

differences to my patients based on

their feedback maybe I can do a on on

some supplements uh one day I mean I did

make a video on them a while back but

even then you know that was only in the

context of someone that absolutely needs

to take those things if the diet's right

then you don't need to buy anything

extra uh but you know going back to the

glucose Please be aware that when you

measure things like hba1c on a blood

test to measure the glucose level

control it might be a decent way to get

a very rough recent historical picture

of your glucose

metabolism but the ISS you have there is

that it doesn't tell you about fructose

which has its own set of of damaging

characteristics in the body and where we

find glucose in nature we find fructose

too all the time and and as to what

ultimately happens to the glucose after

the point in the story that we got to

when it hangs around in the bloodstream

because Gluk 4 is closed in terms of

things like being turned into fat and

how the liver is involved and why

fructose is basically poison

um how triglycerides come into the

picture I think I've spoken quite long

here already so I'll leave that for part

two but quickly for those that don't

believe me because your doctor has never

told you any of this well there are many

reasons for that firstly we're not

taught the Randle cycle in our

undergraduate well I certainly wasn't

anyway and secondly you don't need to

hear from a doctor what you can see with

your own two eyes to be true try a CGM

and watch your blood glucose levels

maintain even without dietary

carbohydrates ideally you know change

your diet over two to three months if

you if you want to do it uh

safely um but on you know on average it

takes me 3 to four weeks to completely

reverse someone's type 2 diabetes

nowadays I'll leave a picture on screen

here of a before and after of fasted

insulin results of one of my patients

from last week who's now off all

medication so you can see for yourself

exactly what happens