Insulin Resistance, Fasting, Ketones and “Why We Get Sick” – Ben Bikman, Ph.D., with Dave Asprey : 804

<p>This episode of Bulletproof Radio runs over 90 minutes and definitely will be worth the time you’ll spend listening.&nbsp;</p><p>We’re talking about insulin resistance, something that affects half of all adults in the U.S., a lot of our children, and is the leading cause of many common health disorders. Insulin resistance makes you less powerful every day until you get diabetes.&nbsp;</p><p>Insulin resistance has been a focus for me for more than 10 years. It's part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://daveasprey.com/the-complete-illustrated-one-page-bulletproof-diet/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bulletproof Diet</a>&nbsp;and it's part of my book “<a href="https://fastthisway.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fast This Way</a>.” In fact, fasting is very impactful for this. And I've asked Ben Bikman, Ph.D., a biomedical scientist and pathophysiology professor at Brigham Young University, on the show to talk about why insulin resistance is happening.</p><p>&nbsp;Ben’s research focuses on the role of elevated insulin in regulating obesity and diabetes, including the relevance of ketones in mitochondrial function. “Insulin resistance itself will start to affect the degree to which the mitochondria work,” he says.</p><p>However, when in balance, insulin is really important to our bodies. “We [speak] about insulin and its role as being a villain, but it's also very much a hero,” Ben says. “It is absolutely essential to survival.”</p><p>Why is insulin important?&nbsp;</p><ul><li>It controls blood glucose</li><li>Every cell has insulin receptors, and insulin tells the cell what to do with energy: when to grow, shrink, build or break.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Ben brings new insights into what’s going on with insulin resistance and why we must pay attention to it. He synthesizes the latest research and information in his book, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Sick-Disease_and/dp/194883698X" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of