High fasting serum insulin levels in a blood test can certainly suggest a high carbohydrate diet over a longer period of time. This can also suggest a possible “insulin resistance” issue if the serum insulin result is quite elevated, which can be a risk factor for the development of diabetes.

We know that blood glucose cannot get into a cell without the help of insulin to “open the door” to the cell. But even in the presence of high blood glucose and high insulin, glucose levels can remain high or get very high, which can lead to diabetes.

I’ve come across a different thought on this situation from a Professor of Human Physiology and Nutrition, Prof Bart Kay. He says that “insulin resistance” is not a pathogenic situation at all, but a protective mechanism!

​We also know that having a high blood sugar level is very toxic in the body, as it causes high inflammation and oxidative damage to cells and organs and tissues. In situations of high blood sugar and insulin, the cells will already have enough unused/stored glucose and Prof Kay suggests that our cells know that high blood sugar causes oxidative damage and hence won’t allow any more glucose into the cell to prevent further oxidative damage. This is therefore a protective mechanism by the body and the cells!

Unfortunately this protective mechanism to stop oxidative damage then can lead to other symptoms and eventually to diabetes. I get his thoughts on this, but insulin resistance still occurs and will lead to further health issues. I also understand that insulin resistance is not a root cause of diabetes development, but it is a factor. But we still have to go back to the root causes of the high oxidative damage, high inflammation, high blood sugar and high insulin levels, and reduce or limit or even temporarily avoid carbs which is driving the whole chain of events.

This metabolic process of limiting fuel intake into a cell also occurs to prevent of fats for fuel if a cell is currently using carbs and has enough of this in the cell. This also happens if a cell has sufficient fats inside to use for energy - it won't take in any more fuel, including carbs, as the current priority fuel is fats. This is a metabolic process called the "Randle Cycle".

Does this different perspective of high blood sugar, insulin and oxidative damage make sense to you? What are your thoughts on this being a protective mechanism?

I cover a lot more on insulin and diabetes, including additional root causes and factors in the IIFP Level 3 pathology analysis training course.

See more on the IIFP courses on our website here.

An iron deficiency occurs in stages, as the attached infographic shows. But you might not see these stages developing, as people don't often get regular blood tests, so we more likely see that they are well into anaemia and iron deficiency symptoms when they see us and we analyse their results.

However these stages and resulting changes in iron studies biomarkers are not always the same as in the infographic, as there are other factors which can affect the iron-related markers, especially of Ferritin. As a result, Ferritin isn't always the first biomarker to show the signs of a possible iron deficiency.

Hence the 4 stage progression, assuming no infection or inflammation or tissue damage, should be:

Stage 1 – the iron stores as Ferritin, starts showing as low
Stage 2 - the iron being available to be transported, being the Transferrin Saturation %, starts showing as low
Stage 3 – Haemoglobin, the oxygen transport protein in the red blood cells, starts showing as low due to the reduced iron
Stage 4 – MCV is usually the last of these biomarkers to show low iron, in our experience.

More often we would actually see that Transferrin Saturation starts showing as low first, and before low ferritin shows as low!

Also, a reminder to never just test for Ferritin on its own, or interpret iron levels from this one biomarker! In so many cases, we have seen low Ferritin in early to advanced stages of iron overload conditions (such as Haemochromatosis)! We have seen doctors and other practitioners recommending iron infusions and/or iron supplements in these cases of low Ferritin, when all other iron-related biomarkers are showing as very high iron overload situation.

Pathology analysis is an art and a science!

Learn more about pathology analysis on our website (including EOFY special deals on now!) from the IIFP training courses for practitioners!