Insulin Resistance, Your Liver and Fat Cells: Blood Tests to Know Your Risk

 

 

In this video we discuss ways to triangulate related blood tests and discover your current state of metabolic health.

Instead looking at a single marker in isolation, we ought to consider this “cluster” of related tests (liver enzymes, triglycerides, glucose, insulin etc…) to get an idea about how your key metabolic organs are operating.

Here’s a video explaining more about:

-Why a one-off glucose or HbA1C reading doesn’t mean much

-Common biomarkers you should test annually (these are sadly often neglected)

-Why fasting insulin shouldn’t ever be elevated

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About this Podcast:

00:40 The health of your liver is reflective of your metabolic health. It is one of the first and key organs that insulin affects.

01:05 Liver function tests AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase), ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase), and most importantly GGT (Gamma-glutamyl Transferase) indicate your metabolic health.

01:35 GGT is involved in glutathione levels and glutathione processing. It is elevated when there is a systemic need for glutathione, like when your liver is infiltrated with fat. Under 25 units per liter is best when taken in context with other markers.

02:43 Triglycerides come from your liver. As you become more insulin resistant, your triglycerides then increase.

04:00 Increased glucose creates a lipid cascade. It is converted into fat by elevated insulin into fat. The fat becomes stored in your liver, causing your liver to make more fat, increasing triglycerides. Your fat cells become enlarged from storing lipids.

04:40 Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) is an advanced lipoprotein particle test that looks at your small dense and large fluffy particles. It does a direct assessment of your LDL and HDL, rather than the more common estimate tests. If you have a lot of ApoB, you are experiencing increased de novo lipogenesis.

05:38 About 70% of glucose and much post meal insulin latches to muscles. Weak, inactive or insulin resistant muscles result in higher blood glucose and insulin.

06:25 Elevated hemoglobin A1C may impact cardiovascular risk, lipids, and liver health, but it is only one marker. Comprehensive testing is needed to look at everything in context.

07:20 Biomarkers often neglected are GGT and LDH.

08:30 Do your lab work fasted and next time, do post meal lab work to see how your body reacts 90 minutes to 120 minutes post meal.

10:25 If your insulin is elevated while fasting (over 4 or 5 units), you may be on the trajectory for hyperinsulinemia.

11:30 Normal ranges on labs do not mean ideal or optimal. Chronic disease is normal. Elevated insulin is normal. Ideal insulin is under 5 while fasting. Glucose should be under 100 fasted and under 150 post meal.

12:33 Triglycerides after a fatty meal should be under 200 m/dl.