Story at-a-glance
- Inflammation in your colon triggers insulin resistance by sending nerve signals from your liver to your pancreas, even before your blood sugar rises
- A study showed that leaky gut activates a liver stress response, which tells your pancreas to expand insulin-producing cells in preparation for metabolic stress
- This entire response happened without weight gain or excess sugar intake, proving gut inflammation alone drives insulin imbalance
- You can track this hidden process using a test called HOMA-IR, which reveals how hard your body is working to control blood sugar — often before glucose levels become abnormal
- Healing your gut with the right kinds of fiber and eliminating inflammatory foods helps restore beneficial butyrate levels, repair your gut lining and lower your risk for insulin resistance
