Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas.
What is the main function of insulin?
insulin helps move glucose (sugar) from the blood to muscles and other tissues. Insulin controls blood sugar levels.
Metabolic weight gain
What is insulin resistance and how does it affect me?
How does excess insulin lead to weight gain?
Insulin controls blood sugar by pushing the sugar in to cells – the cells then either store it as fat or use it for energy. If the cells do not remove glucose from the blood, the body will store it in the tissues as fat. When a person takes insulin as a therapy, or they are insulin resistant, their body may absorb too much glucose from food, resulting in weight gain.
Insulin resistance is very common and affects up to 71% of the adult population in the US leading to significant weight gain, sugar cravings and increased risk of diabetes.
What are different types of insulin?
Several types of insulin are available. Each type starts to work at a different speed, known as “onset,” and its effects last a different length of time, known as “duration.” Most types of insulin reach a peak, which is when they have the strongest effect. Then the effects of the insulin wear off over the next few hours or so.
| Types of Insulin and How They Work | |||
| Insulin type | How fast it starts to work (onset) | When it peaks | How long it lasts (duration) |
| Rapid-acting | About 15 minutes after injection | 1 hour | 2 to 4 hours |
| Short-acting, also called regular | Within 30 minutes after injection | 2 to 3 hours | 3 to 6 hours |
| Intermediate-acting | 2 to 4 hours after injection | 4 to 12 hours | 12 to 18 hours |
| Long-acting | Several hours after injection | Does not peak | 24 hours; some last longer |
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