On Tue, 19 Dec 2000 21:36:02 -0500, R Bartlett <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>Excess insulin is supposed to trigger insulin resistance (the closing of
>cells to insulin).  Since insulin ushers glucose into body's cells (liver,
>muscles, fat), glucose is effectively shut-out of the body's cells at the
>very same time that blood sugar and insulin levels are high (in the
>bloodstream).[Eventually insulin does perform its glucose-transport
activity
>into the body's cells; except in the case of diabetes]

I think it's not insulin that transports, but insulin allows the glucose
transporting molucules of the cell to start the transport.
For some reason the cell refuses to transport any more glucose into the cell
despite the permission (insulin) is present.
That's insulin resistance. No glucose imported despite insulin present.
Then the body reacts by rising insulin even more and with a cascade of
reactions to bring the dangerous blood glucose down. All the diabetes
symptoms rise.

What do you think, why the cell refuses to "eat" more glucose?

It's treated as "not fully understood" - a miracle - a disease.
I think it's the wisdom of the cell to stop importing more glucose, if the
glucose already present cannot be metabolized.
That's done in the ribosomes. And i suppose they stop accepting more glucose
due to the lack of an enzyme called pyruvate dehydrogenase.
This gigantic molecule is dependant on a steady supply of thiamine (and
alpha lipoic acid).
If you are insulin resistant, do a vitamin b1 blood level test.
The biggest part of the western society is defficient in it.

I suspect this enzyme, because the energy the cells can still consume is
from fat. And fat circumvents the pyruvate stage.
Carbohydrate generated from protein circumvent the pyruvate stage in the
biggest part, only 3 amino acids have to go through it.

>According to the Hellers in The Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart
>Program,
>insulin resistance causes the brain to receive less glucose during one of
>these carbohydrate-loading events. ... fogginess, weakness, and cravings
for even more carbs! (hence the
>addictive nature of carbohydrates)

The fogginess, weakness, and cravings (and hence the addictive nature)
comes from the hypoglycemic phase *after* the carb loading phase.
Low blood sugar usually shows up after some time, when high insulin has
caused low glucose in the blood.
Of cause into fat calls, as far as other cells didn't import it.
Low blood sugar then endangers the brain and causes fogginess and so on.....

>... opiod-like effects....

If the hardware (the brain) receives ups and downs in their energy supply by
 low blood sugar and missing B vitamins, i don't wonder that in an "up",
when it's working again, the feeling is good.
Addictive, yes, addictive to a normal working brain.

Extracted carbohydrates, sugar, white flour are very low in or devoid of
thiamine, which is necessary per unit of carbohydrate.
Heat and cooking in water which is thrown away further reduces thiamine.

Regards,
Amadeus S.