The Role of Insulin Resistance in Inflammation:A Dysfunctional Relationship
- Lynette Scalora-Palacios, NC, FNLP
- Jul 17
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 22
Have you been feeling "OFF" lately?
Do you ever feel like you have low energy, brain fog, or gut issues? Are you dealing with stubborn belly fat or a fading libido? These symptoms may seem unrelated, but they are more common than you think. Often, these subtle signals are your body’s way of pointing out a deeper issue of imbalance. One major—but often overlooked—culprit is chronic inflammation and its close link to insulin resistance.
Let’s Explore Inflammation: Acute vs. Chronic
Acute inflammation is the immune system's immediate response to injury or infection. Think of what happens when you get a cut, sprain an ankle, or catch a virus. Signs of inflammation include redness, swelling, pain, heat and loss of function. Acute inflammation is short-term. Without it, wounds would not heal, and infections could become deadly.
Chronic inflammation, however, is a low-grade, persistent immune response that often goes unnoticed. Signs may be silent or not obvious. It is harmful, and if left unchecked, overtime, will cause damage to healthy body tissues and contribute to serious metabolic disorders including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, cancers, and autoimmune disorders.
Time and time again, the evidence shows that chronic inflammation is triggered by a poor diet, stress, lack of sleep and exercise, toxins, or excess abdominal fat.
Understanding Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps transport glucose from your blood into your cells for energy. Insulin resistance (IR) occurs when cells in muscles, fat, and the liver stop responding properly to insulin. Insulin is the key that unlocks your cells to let glucose enter them. With insulin resistance (IR), that key becomes faulty and too much glucose gets stuck in your bloodstream. Elevated levels of glucose or hyperglycemia in the bloodstream signal the pancreas to make more insulin, but eventually, the pancreas just can't keep up.
In healthy cells, insulin binds to the insulin receptor on cell membranes, triggering a cascade of cellular events for optimal functioning. However, when this cascade is disrupted, insulin resistance occurs due to a combination of defective insulin receptor signaling and defective metabolic processes that inhibit glucose uptake, such as increased lipid accumulation, chronic inflammation, misfolded proteins, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Insulin resistance can put individuals at risk for several conditions and diseases:
Type 2 diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Metabolic syndrome
Obesity
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Hypertension
Alzheimer’s
Certain cancers
A Two-Way Relationship Forming a Vicious Cycle
Inflammation and insulin resistance have a dysfunctional relationship. Their relationship goes both ways. On one side, inflammation can lead to insulin resistance. When the body is inflamed, often due to stress, poor diet, or excess fat, it releases pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) which interfere with insulin signaling in key tissues such as fat, muscle, and the liver. This makes it harder for cells to respond to insulin, pushing blood glucose levels higher.
On the flip side, insulin resistance doesn’t just respond to inflammation — it can make it worse. When cells stop responding to insulin, especially in fat tissue, it creates stress. That stress triggers the release of other signals that call in immune cells, particularly macrophages (the body's cleanup crew). Once they arrive, these immune cells release even more inflammatory substances.
This creates a vicious cycle:
Inflammation causes insulin resistance
Insulin resistance causes more inflammation
And the loop continues!
This ongoing feedback loop is a major driver behind many chronic health problems. The good news? Breaking the cycle is POSSIBLE!
Lifestyle and Therapeutic Strategies
- Take Charge of the Cycle!
You don’t have to be stuck in this loop. Develop an action plan with these tips and tools to interrupt the cycle and support your body's natural balance:
Anti-Inflammatory Diets: Common anti-inflammatory diets like the Mediterranean, DASH, a low-glycemic, Paleo, or even a plant forward/omnivorous ketogenic diet can aid in the reduction of both insulin resistance and inflammation. What these diets have in common is eating an abundance of whole foods consisting of colorful vegetables and fruits which contain polyphenols and antioxidants that help fight inflammation.
After a large review of multiple studies, researchers analyzed various eating styles, including vegetarian, Mediterranean, high-protein, moderate- and low-carb, low glycemic index, Paleo, low-fat, and standard control diets. The common thread? Each diet had to be followed for at least 12 weeks.
The good news: all these diets helped lower blood sugar levels—specifically HbA1c (a measure of long-term blood sugar control) and fasting glucose. But some were more effective than others.
For lowering HbA1c, low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean-style diets came out on top.
For reducing fasting glucose, the Mediterranean and vegetarian diets worked best.
So, while there's no one-size-fits-all approach, this research shows that certain dietary patterns, especially those rich in whole foods and low in processed sugars, can make a big difference in managing blood sugar.
Rethinking Meal Timing and the Order in Which We Eat
Chrono nutrition is an emerging field of research that explores how when you eat is just as important as what you eat. It's based on the idea that our bodies operate on a 24-hour internal clock, called the circadian rhythm, which influences everything from metabolism and hormone levels to digestion and sleep. Chrono nutrition looks at how the timing, frequency, and regularity of meals can affect health, weight, and chronic disease risk. It aligns eating patterns with your body’s natural rhythms, supporting better energy, blood sugar control, and even improved sleep.
Research shows that eating most of your calories and carbs earlier in the day, especially around lunch or early afternoon, can help improve blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. Conversely, late-night dinners and irregular eating patterns may throw your system off balance.
The order in which we eat our meals can significantly impact blood sugar and insulin levels. Starting with low-energy-dense foods like vegetables, salads, or soups, followed by protein and finishing with starchy carbohydrates, can help improve glycemic and insulin responses. In addition to meal sequencing, various dietary approaches such as intermittent fasting have also shown promise in supporting better blood sugar control.
Exercise/Physical Activity
Physical activity is one of the most effective ways to improve insulin sensitivity. It helps your muscles use glucose more efficiently and has been shown to lower levels of inflammatory markers in the body. Both aerobic exercise and strength training are beneficial to improve body composition by increasing lean muscle mass and reducing excess fat. The benefits of exercise include:
Lowers postprandial glucose
Lowers fasting/postprandial insulin
Lowers body weight
Lowers HbA1c
Lowers Triglycerides
Increases HDL
Lowers Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes risk
Weight Loss
Excess body fat, especially around the abdomen, produces pro-inflammatory chemicals. Losing weight, even modestly, can reduce this fat-related inflammation and improve insulin function.
Manage Stress
Chronic stress can disrupt hormone balance and fuel inflammation. Practicing deep breathing, mindfulness, or journaling regularly can calm the nervous system and support healthier blood sugar regulation.
Get Quality Sleep
Poor sleep disrupts hormones like insulin, cortisol, and ghrelin, which can increase both inflammation and insulin resistance. Aim for consistent, restorative sleep each night to support both metabolic and immune health.
Supplements
Omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, and vitamin D show potential in lowering inflammatory responses.
Work with your doctor to check insulin, blood sugar, and inflammation
Conclusion
Insulin resistance and inflammation are deeply interconnected — not just coexisting but driving each other in a feedback loop. Breaking this cycle through diet, exercise, stress reduction, quality sleep, and targeted therapies is essential in preventing and treating chronic metabolic diseases. You have the power to transform your health!
Reference:
Maffetone, P., & Khopkar, M. (2018). The overfat pandemic in India. Global Epidemic Obesity, 6(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.7243/2052-5966-6-2
Papakonstantinou, E., Oikonomou, C., Nychas, G., & Dimitriadis, G. D. (2022). Effects of diet, lifestyle, chrononutrition and alternative dietary interventions on postprandial glycemia and insulin resistance. Nutrients, 14(4), 823. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14040823
Rehman, K., & Akash, M. S. H. (2016). Mechanisms of inflammatory responses and development of insulin resistance: How are they interlinked? Journal of Biomedical Science, 23(1), 87. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-016-0303-y
