The primary treatment for insulin resistance is exercise and weight loss. Low-glycemic index or low-carbohydrate diets have also been shown to help. Both metformin and the thiazolidinediones improve insulin resistance, but are only approved therapies for type 2 diabetes, not insulin resistance, ''per se''. By contrast, growth hormone replacement therapy may be associated with increased insulin resistance.
Metformin has become one of the more commonly prescribed medications for insulin resistance, and currently a newer drug, exenatide (marketed as Byetta), is being used. Exenatide has not been approved except for use in diabetics, but often improves insulin resistance by the same mechanism as it does diabetes. It also has been used to aid in weight loss for diabetics and those with insulin resistance, and is being studied for this use as well as for weight loss in people who have gained weight while on antidepressants.
The ''Diabetes Prevention Program'' showed that exercise and diet were nearly twice as effective as metformin at reducing the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes.
Many people with insulin resistance currently follow the lead of some diabetics, and add cinnamon in therapeutic doses to their diet to help control blood sugar. This has the danger of increasing the risk of bleeding, since most commercial cinnamon preparations are actually from Cassia (''Cinnamomum aromaticum''), which also contains anticoagulants; whereas "true cinnamon" (''Cinnamomum zeylanicum'' or ''sp. verum'') does not.
Some types of Monounsaturated fatty acids and saturated fats appear to promote insulin resistance, whereas some types of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3) can increase insulin sensitivity.
There are scientific studies showing that vanadium (e.g., as vanadyl sulfate) and chromium (e.g., in chromium picolinate and GTF formulations) in reasonable doses have reportedly also shown some efficacy in improving IR sensitivity, but these effects are controversial.
Naturopathic approaches to insulin resistance have been advocated including supplementation of vanadium (but see preceding paragraph), bitter melon (Momordica, but reportedly dangerous if not used with care), and Gymnema sylvestre.
One study found that chromium is necessary for maintaining normal glucose tolerance.
Daily Mg administration, restoring an appropriate intracellular Mg concentration, contributes to improve insulin-mediated glucose uptake. High daily Mg intake are predictive of a lower incidence of NIDDM.
Further Reading
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