Does insulin cause accelerated aging, and can you slow aging and live longer and in better health by keeping insulin levels low?
Let's look at the evidence.
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Let's look at the evidence.
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Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas, which maintains normal blood glucose levels by promoting cellular glucose uptake, regulating carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism and promoting cell division and growth.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/Pโฆ
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/Pโฆ
Importantly, insulin resistance can occur, which is a lower response to insulin.
The result: insulin levels rise, leading to hyperinsulinemia.
The result: insulin levels rise, leading to hyperinsulinemia.
In a previous thread, we saw how a high level of insulin (hyperinsulinemia) is associated with a large number of chronic diseases.
These diseases are also strongly associated with older age.
These diseases are also strongly associated with older age.
https://twitter.com/Mangan150/status/1137043570722918400?s=20
Insulin activates mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), the cellular mechanism that integrates nutritional and growth signals. 
Rapamycin, a drug that inhibits mTOR, slows aging and extends lifespan in animals.
Keeping insulin low could be expected to have the same effect.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/Pโฆ
Keeping insulin low could be expected to have the same effect.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/Pโฆ
Healthy human centenarians have better insulin sensitivity and hence lower insulin levels.
This indicates that insulin could be important for their longer life and better health.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100โฆ
This indicates that insulin could be important for their longer life and better health.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100โฆ
Diabetics who take the drug metformin, which decreases insulin and glucose levels, have lower mortality rates than non-diabetics who don't take it.
sciencedirect.com/science/articlโฆ
sciencedirect.com/science/articlโฆ
This is remarkable, since diabetics have greatly heightened risk for heart disease and cancer.
But it begs the question whether the control group was truly metabolically healthy.
Whether they were or not, it seems clear that lowering glucose and insulin promotes health.
But it begs the question whether the control group was truly metabolically healthy.
Whether they were or not, it seems clear that lowering glucose and insulin promotes health.
Hyperinsulinemia also plays a causal role in obesity, and obesity accelerates aging.
joe.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/โฆ
joe.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/โฆ
How does insulin resistance happen?
The answer is controversial to scientists who study it.
Whether hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance lead to the other is a chicken and egg problem.
The answer is controversial to scientists who study it.
Whether hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance lead to the other is a chicken and egg problem.
However, as seen above, there is both human and animal evidence that insulin promotes aging, as well as mechanistic reasons to think the evidence points to causality.
Insulin promotes growth, and growth is antagonistic to longevity.
Insulin promotes growth, and growth is antagonistic to longevity.
Practical implication:
keep insulin sensitivity high and insulin levels low.
You can do this through:
*a diet of low carb, real whole foods
*resistance training.
keep insulin sensitivity high and insulin levels low.
You can do this through:
*a diet of low carb, real whole foods
*resistance training.
Both quickly improve insulin action, and have long term effects through better body composition, i.e. less body fat and more muscle.
For longer lifespan and healthspan, these are two fundamental factors, as I see it.
For longer lifespan and healthspan, these are two fundamental factors, as I see it.
The story of insulin, chronic diseases, and aging gets complex in a hurry, and the above is a simplification, but IMO gets to the nub of the matter.
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