What Are the Treatments for Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance, one of the components of metabolic syndrome, is considered a precursor to diabetes. Those with insulin resistance have no trouble producing insulin, but their muscles and other tissues are resistant to it, which often results in a cycle of increasing insulin production, fatigue, carbohydrate cravings, weight-gain and, eventually, rising blood-sugar levels.

Diet

• A low-glycemic diet, which replaces low-fiber, quickly digested carbohydrates with high-fiber, slowly digested ones, promotes a slower, more moderate increase in blood sugar after meals and doesn't trigger the pancreas to produce as much insulin.

Weight loss

• For overweight patients, losing as little as 7 percent of their body weight, even if that isn't sufficient to bring them to an ideal weight, is associated with decreased Insulin resistance.

Exercise

• Daily vigorous exercise increases the rate at which the body's cells take up blood glucose. It increases the number of insulin receptors in muscles, which also increases insulin utilization.

Medications

• The diabetes drug Glucophage also increases cell absorption of blood glucose, and it inhibits kidneys from releasing glucose; it is sometimes prescribed to treat insulin resistance.

Vinegar

• A study published by Johnston, et al., in the January 2004 issue of Diabetes Care found that apple cider vinegar, consumed just before a high-carbohydrate meal, helped reduce the blood glucose spikes that normally follow such a meal. The subjects drank about 4 tsp. of apple cider vinegar mixed with 40g water and 1 tsp. saccharine.