Diseases of the Snacker
The chronically high insulin in the blood creates more problems than just weight gain. Increased insulin provides a direct path into metabolic conditions that severely shorten healthy lifespan. Let’s discuss some of the major pathologies:
Cancer
Cancer is a big problem associated with high insulin levels. Since fasting stimulates autophagy, they are at a much lower risk of having cancerous cells growing in the body. In contrast, autophagy never occurs in a snacker and damaged cells build up over time. This means more mutations can accumulate in snackers without an immune response, increasing the chance of cancer.
In addition, snackers have higher levels of blood sugar than normal, meaning that the body is primed for growth. In the case of cancer, since the body does not need the extra sugar, it can easily be used by tumor cells to grow faster. Finally, high insulin triggers hormones such as Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), which is linked to cancer.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Recent research has shown such close links between sugar and Alzheimer’s that it is being called type 3 diabetes. Essentially, when insulin resistance grows too strong in the brain, it is unable to process sugar and create energy. As a result, the brain shrinks and the victim begins to suffer the symptoms of memory loss and more. However, there are more intricate ways high insulin contributes to this disease.
Alzheimer’s is caused by buildup of proteins known as Beta Amyloids in the nervous tissue, essentially strangling the neurons. This protein is typically used in cleanup of toxins that the brain produces during the day. Then, the proteins are flushed out and broken down, especially when we sleep. But what is the name of the enzyme that breaks down these proteins? It is actually called IDE: Insulin Degrading Enzyme! This finding is so important because it shows that insulin and beta amyloids fight for breakdown by the same enzyme! When insulin is high, the enzyme never can get to the amyloids, since insulin out-competes it.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is also directly caused by high insulin. The excess levels of insulin in the blood react with LDL molecules, stripping away its electrons and making it react with the blood vessels. Over time, this damaged LDL scars the vessel wall, resulting in calcification of arteries and increased risk of strokes and heart attacks. This high insulin environment also strips away the sugar-based lining of the vessel wall, known as the glycocalyx. This structure acts as a shield for vessels and is stripped away every time it interacts with sugar. It takes up to 8 hours to regenerate, meaning that a snacker, who eats every few hours, always has vessels exposed to damaging elements.