Post Time: 2025-09-01
Dr. Berg Explains the Real Cause of Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a widespread health issue, often leading to a cascade of problems, including type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and various metabolic disorders. Many people struggle with this condition, often feeling lost and confused about its root causes. In this article, we'll explore how Dr. Eric Berg, a renowned chiropractor specializing in healthy ketosis and intermittent fasting, explains the real drivers behind insulin resistance. His approach offers a fresh perspective, moving beyond the simplistic notion of just too much sugar.
Understanding Insulin Resistance
Before we dive into Dr. Berg’s perspective, let’s briefly recap what insulin resistance actually means. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, acts like a key, allowing glucose (sugar) from your food to enter your cells for energy. When you become insulin resistant, your cells stop responding effectively to this hormone, causing glucose to build up in your bloodstream. To compensate, your pancreas produces more insulin, leading to elevated insulin levels in the body. Over time, this can lead to high A1C, which is the measurement of average blood sugar over a period of three months and a hallmark of pre-diabetes and diabetes. It’s not just about the high blood sugar, but also the chronically high insulin.
| Metric | Normal Range | Pre-diabetes | Diabetes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1C | Below 5.7% | 5.7 - 6.4% | 6.5% or higher |
| Fasting Blood Glucose | 70-99 mg/dL | 100 - 125 mg/dL | 126 mg/dL or higher |
Dr. Berg's Primary Cause: Fatty Liver
According to Dr. Berg, the primary cause of insulin resistance is a fatty liver. This is a key differentiation from conventional thought, which typically focuses more on direct glucose consumption as the biggest contributor to insulin resistance. Dr. Berg explains that when the liver becomes overloaded with fat, it becomes congested and less efficient. This congestion impairs the liver’s normal functions, including its ability to properly handle insulin. He highlights that it's not necessarily about dietary fats causing fatty liver, but rather that excess glucose and refined carbohydrates in the diet lead to the liver converting it to fat, storing it, and eventually impacting its overall function.
The Vicious Cycle of Glucose and the Liver
Dr. Berg emphasizes how a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars floods the liver with excess glucose. When you consume excess carbs, your body converts that excess glucose to triglycerides which are then stored as fat in the liver. The liver’s job isn't just to store fats but also to process glucose. A fatty liver hampers this critical processing, leading to further insulin resistance. When this happens, the body becomes more and more reliant on increased insulin production. This leads to a negative feedback loop; as your cells fail to respond to insulin, more insulin is required to manage blood sugar which becomes a huge issue when constantly triggered by eating.
The Impact on A1C
This cycle ultimately impacts the A1C levels because of chronically elevated blood glucose. As blood glucose levels go up, there's also excess glycation in the body (where sugars attach to proteins, such as hemoglobin). The A1C measures this glycation process. The higher your A1C reading, the greater the burden of glucose over time, indicating uncontrolled levels in the blood stream. The chronic buildup of blood sugar, along with chronically elevated insulin creates the long-term health complications associated with diabetes, especially when it is uncontrolled or poorly managed.
The Practical Side of Addressing Insulin Resistance Based on Dr. Berg's Approach
According to Dr. Berg, effectively managing insulin resistance means tackling the fatty liver at its root cause. He doesn't promote restrictive or unsustainable dietary measures but rather focuses on empowering you with knowledge so that you can make informed choices to regain your health. Here are the core principles and actions you can take:
Low Carb, Healthy Fats
The primary strategy Dr. Berg advocates for improving insulin sensitivity involves adopting a low-carbohydrate diet rich in healthy fats. Reducing carbohydrate intake forces the body to utilize stored fat as an energy source which is important when addressing insulin resistance because it minimizes spikes in blood sugar which then reduces the insulin demand in the body. This change allows the liver to clear out excess fat. This doesn't mean all carbs are bad, but rather it means reducing or eliminating refined and processed sugars, and focusing on more complex carb options like those that come from fibrous vegetables.
Intermittent Fasting
Another cornerstone of Dr. Berg’s approach is intermittent fasting. This eating pattern involves cycling between periods of eating and voluntary fasting. By giving the digestive system a break and extending the time between eating, you allow your liver to focus on cellular repair, detox and can also help improve insulin sensitivity over time. For example, if you normally eat every 3-4 hours or more frequently you can explore the method of having two large meals per day over the span of an 8 hour window (or shorter if that better suits you), and fasting the other 16 hours of the day. This can be done daily.
| Intermittent Fasting Type | Eating Window | Fasting Window |
|---|---|---|
| 16/8 | 8 hours | 16 hours |
| 18/6 | 6 hours | 18 hours |
| 20/4 | 4 hours | 20 hours |
Prioritize Nutrient Density
It’s not just about what you cut out; it’s about what you include. Focusing on nutrient-dense, whole foods will provide the building blocks your body needs, and will also provide it with essential vitamins and minerals. This may help the body be more efficient in glucose uptake into the cells so the overall glucose control improves over time. Dr. Berg highlights foods like cruciferous vegetables, and he also advocates for whole meats and healthy fats from things like olive oil or avocados.
Key Takeaways and Conclusion
In conclusion, Dr. Berg provides a valuable, alternative perspective on insulin resistance. Instead of purely focusing on sugar intake, his message is centered around fatty liver as the key driver of this metabolic issue, which explains the reasons behind increased A1C levels. By reducing refined carbs, incorporating intermittent fasting, and focusing on nutrient dense foods, people can significantly improve their insulin sensitivity. This is more of a holistic approach to wellness, than a restrictive approach based solely around the traditional advice of focusing on blood glucose. While it might be counterintuitive to reduce your carbohydrate intake for improved health, the science suggests, as Dr. Berg points out, that it is vital for addressing the issue of insulin resistance. Always consult a medical practitioner before making drastic changes in your diet and overall health routine.
What do you know about is 40 blood sugar too low blood sugars? Are you aware of the risks associated with high blood sugars? What about low blood sugar? Did you know that irritability is associated with out of balance blood sugars? Your blood sugars play a huge role when trying to conceive and in pregnancy! Join HeHe and Becca Romero to dive into what you need to know about balancing your blood sugars including symptoms of imbalanced blood sugars, foods that support healthy blood sugars and how blood sugar can impact egg quality! Becca Romero is the founder of Little Life Nutrition, an online fertility nutrition practice. Becca is a licenced dietitian nutritionist fix blood sugar com and a certified nutrition specialist. With a specialized focus on addressing infertility, she offers personalized dietary and lifestyle solutions, including menstrual cycle education for women aiming to enhance their conception potential and ensure the birth of a healthy baby. She is turmeric to lower blood sugar driven by the philosophy that optimal preconception nutrition and lifestyle can shape the well-being of generations to come. Join The Birth Lounge here: Connect with Becca on IG: Work with Becca: Use code HEHE15 for 15% off HeHe's favorite organic lube for TTC and Pregnancy: