According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 in 6 American adults currently has diabetes.1 Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from August 2021 to August 2023 show that the overall prevalence of diabetes in the United States has increased to 15.8%.
These figures include both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases, with 11.3% of adults knowing they have diabetes and a further 4.5% living with diabetes without a formal diagnosis. The increase in overall diabetes prevalence represents a serious public health problem and highlights the need for increased awareness, early detection, and effective management strategies.2
Diabetes often causes serious complications affecting the nervous system, kidneys, eyes, heart and blood vessels, so prevention and treatment are essential for optimal health. Mitochondrial toxins, which harm cellular energy production, contribute to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
The incidence of diabetes is higher in men, older people, and obese patients
Statistics show that men have a higher risk of developing both overall and diagnosed diabetes than women. According to NHANES data, 18% of American men have diabetes, of which 12.9% are diagnosed with diabetes compared to 13.7% and 9.7% of women, respectively.3 This gender gap suggests that men should pay more attention to their diabetes-related health.
Although the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes does not differ significantly between men and women, the higher rate of diagnosed diabetes in men highlights the importance of regular screening and proactive health measures. Factors contributing to the increased risk in men may include lifestyle choices, biological differences, and lower health care utilization.
As you age, your risk of developing diabetes increases. CDC findings show that diabetes prevalence jumps from 3.6% among adults ages 20 to 39 to 27.3% among adults ages 60 and older.4 Weight also plays a role in this risk. The prevalence of diabetes in obese individuals is 24.2%, compared to 12.3% in the overweight category and 6.8% in the normal or underweight category.5
These trends highlight how aging and weight gain significantly increase the likelihood of developing diabetes. Managing your weight through a healthy diet and regular physical activity significantly reduces your risk.
NHANES data also show a clear inverse relationship between education level and diabetes prevalence. The overall prevalence of diabetes among adults with a high school diploma or GED or less is 19.6%, and decreases to 10.7% among adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher.6
Similarly, diabetes prevalence decreases from 14.6% in the low-educated group to 7.3% in the highly educated group. This correlation suggests that higher levels of education may provide better access to health information, resources, and healthier lifestyle choices, all of which contribute to lower diabetes risk.
Understanding HOMA-IR — A Simple Test for Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a warning sign of metabolic health that precedes type 2 diabetes, so early recognition is essential. HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) is a valuable diagnostic tool that helps evaluate insulin resistance through a simple blood test. Created in 1985, this program calculates the relationship between fasting blood sugar and insulin levels to assess how effectively your body uses insulin.
Unlike other complex tests, HOMA-IR requires only one fasting blood sample, making it practical and accessible. This simplicity allows doctors and patients to screen for early signs of insulin resistance, monitor pre-diabetes risk, track treatment effects over time, and guide intervention strategies. The HOMA-IR formula is:
HOMA-IR = (Fasting Glucose x Fasting Insulin) / 405, where
- Fasting blood sugar is measured in mg/dL.
- Fasting insulin is measured in μIU/mL (micro international units per milliliter).
- 405 is a constant that normalizes the value.
The formula changes slightly if you use mmol/L for glucose instead of mg/dL.
HOMA-IR = (Fasting Glucose x Fasting Insulin) / 22.5, where
- Fasting blood sugar is measured in mmol/L.
- Fasting insulin is measured in μIU/mL.
- 22.5 is the normalization factor for this unit of measurement.
A HOMA-IR score of less than 1.0 is considered healthy. Anything above that is considered insulin resistance. The higher the value, the greater the insulin resistance. Conversely, the lower your HOMA-IR score, the lower your insulin resistance (unless you have type 1 diabetes, which does not produce insulin). Insulin resistance is often present long before the problem becomes apparent, silently throwing the body out of balance and setting the stage for a serious condition later on.
Interestingly, my personal HOMA-IR score is low at 0.2. This lower score is evidence that my body’s fuel burning efficiency has improved as a result of increased glucose availability. By adding carbohydrates to your diet, you gave your cells the energy they needed to work more effectively.
This improved cellular function significantly improves metabolic health, demonstrating how strategic dietary adjustments can improve insulin sensitivity and overall metabolic performance.
Are nutritional deficiencies involved?
Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise have been shown to prevent type 2 diabetes more effectively than the drug metformin alone.7 However, nutritional deficiencies may also play a role. For example, vitamin B6 plays a role in blood sugar regulation through the “first responder” beta cells of the pancreas. Some cases of diabetes may actually be related to vitamin B6 deficiency or dysfunction.8
Additionally, there is an inverse relationship between vitamin D and HbA1c levels, a key indicator of long-term glycemic control. As vitamin D increases, HbA1c decreases.9 This means that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels, ideally through safe sunlight exposure, can help manage blood sugar and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Minerals such as zinc,10 Magnesium and chromium are also essential for blood sugar control. For example, magnesium supplementation has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and improve symptoms of depression and anxiety in people with diabetes.11
Adequate intake of these vitamins and trace minerals through diet, targeted supplements, or, in the case of vitamin D, sunlight exposure, can support both blood sugar control and mental health. However, other harmful dietary factors are implicated in driving the chronic disease epidemic, including linoleic acid (LA), type 2 diabetes.
LA Surge — 10 Years of Dietary Change and Metabolic Impact
You may not realize it, but your diet today is vastly different from the diet of just 100 years ago, especially your LA intake. Since the mid-20th century, consumption of LA, an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid found in seed oils and most processed foods, has skyrocketed in Western diets. This dramatic increase coincides with an unprecedented rise in chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.12
LA is essential for maintaining healthy skin and other bodily functions, but excessive consumption raises concerns about its role as a metabolic poison, disrupting mitochondrial function and disrupting glucose homeostasis. Historically, humans consumed LA at much lower levels and our bodies evolved to manage these amounts effectively.
However, modern LA abundance overwhelms these regulatory systems, resulting in insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism. This is as explained in a review published in Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids.13 When choosing a diet, understanding the surge in LA intake and the resulting metabolic impact is important to prevent diabetes and reverse it if already diagnosed.
How Linoleic Acid Disrupts Glucose Balance
When LA is ingested, bioactive metabolites such as oxidized linoleic acid metabolite (OXLAM) and arachidonic acid (AA) are formed through various metabolic processes. These metabolites interfere with insulin signaling, which plays an important role in maintaining blood sugar levels.
For example, certain OXLAMs have been shown to impair insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells, cells responsible for regulating blood sugar.14 Additionally, AA-derived eicosanoids promote inflammation and oxidative stress, further disrupting insulin sensitivity in muscles and liver.
This biochemical disruption makes it more difficult for the body to utilize glucose effectively, leading to insulin resistance and ultimately diabetes. Understanding these molecular disorders highlights the importance of regulating LA uptake to maintain the delicate balance of glucose homeostasis and prevent the development of metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
Inflammation and Insulin Resistance—LA’s Hidden Connection
Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the development of insulin resistance, and LA is intricately linked to this process. When you consume high levels of LA, your body produces more inflammatory eicosanoids, which cause chronic low-grade inflammation. This persistent inflammatory state disrupts the insulin signaling pathway, making cells less responsive to the effects of insulin.
As a result, the body must produce more insulin to achieve the same blood sugar-lowering effect, resulting in hyperinsulinemia. Over time, this compensatory mechanism exhausts pancreatic beta cells, reducing insulin production and worsening insulin resistance. Moreover, inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, which increase with increased LA intake, are associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.15
By creating an inflammatory environment, excessive LA consumption not only disrupts metabolic balance but also accelerates the progression to diabetes. Recognizing this hidden connection highlights the need for dietary strategies that minimize inflammation to maintain insulin sensitivity and metabolic health.
Lack of cellular energy causes chronic diseases such as diabetes
The main reason excess LA is bad for your health is because it disrupts the mitochondria, the powerhouses of your cells. Think of mitochondria as tiny energy factories within your cells that produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an essential fuel for cells to keep running and repair themselves.
Without energy, cells cannot repair and regenerate themselves. Therefore, the fundamental problem in most chronic diseases is that the cells do not produce enough energy. In addition to LA, exposure to synthetic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), estrogens, and invasive electromagnetic fields (EMFs) impair the ability of cells to generate energy efficiently.
This lack of energy makes it difficult to maintain the anaerobic intestinal environment necessary for beneficial bacteria like Akkermansia to thrive, further complicating the problem.
Instead, a lack of cellular energy creates a gut environment that favors endotoxin-producing bacteria, creating a vicious cycle that further damages mitochondria, causes insulin resistance, and worsens health. By addressing the “4Es” – excess LA, estrogen (xenoestrogens found in everyday items like plastic), EMF, and endotoxin – you can restore cellular energy and begin your path to optimal health.
