Final answer:
Spiking insulin with every meal can lead to insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Eating smaller, more frequent meals helps to keep insulin and blood glucose levels stable. Constant insulin spikes disrupt glucose storage and protein synthesis processes, making them counterproductive for long-term health.
Step-by-step explanation:
You might wonder why we wouldn't want to spike insulin every time we eat to enhance nutrient delivery. While insulin does indeed play a pivotal role in nutrient uptake and blood glucose regulation, constantly spiking insulin can lead to problems. Insulin's primary job is to help transport and store glucose, which it does by increasing the uptake of glucose by the body's cells, thereby decreasing blood glucose levels after a meal. High glucose levels, as after consuming a large or high-glucose meal, trigger insulin release from the pancreas. However, frequent insulin spikes can eventually cause the body's cells to become less responsive to insulin, a condition known as insulin resistance. This is a contributing factor in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Instead of aiming for insulin spikes, it's advisable to eat smaller, more frequent meals. This approach keeps energy levels, blood glucose, and insulin levels more stable throughout the day, avoiding the extreme highs and lows that can occur with larger, less frequent meals which can overstimulate insulin release. Furthermore, insulin not only assists in glucose transport but also stimulates the body to store glucose as glycogen in the liver and muscles, and promotes protein synthesis in muscles—processes that would be disrupted by constant insulin spiking. Properly timed insulin release allows for efficient energy use and storage without the risk of causing insulin resistance.