Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

How Food, Fasting & Lifestyle Can Transform Your Metabolic Health & Reduce Your Risk of Disease with Dr Ben Bikman #582

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Sep 30, 2025

Dr. Ben Bikman, a scientist and expert on insulin, discusses the critical role of this hormone in metabolic health. He reveals that nearly 90% of adults show signs of poor metabolic function, influencing conditions like obesity and diabetes. Ben explains why measuring insulin is more revealing than glucose alone and highlights visible signs of insulin resistance, such as skin tags. He offers practical strategies like brief fasting and dietary adjustments to enhance insulin sensitivity, while also discussing how genetics affect metabolism.

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INSIGHT

Fat Cell Size Trumps Fat Mass

Fat cell size not total fat mass determines metabolic risk; hypertrophied fat cells become insulin resistant and inflammatory.
Ethnic differences in fat-cell number explain varying disease risk at similar body weights.

ADVICE

Measure Insulin Not Just Glucose

Ask your clinician for fasting insulin measurement because glucose can stay normal for years despite high insulin.
Detecting hyperinsulinemia early lets you treat the root cause rather than late-stage glucose elevation.

ADVICE

Use Skin Clues To Spot High Insulin

Look for skin signs of high insulin: acanthosis nigricans (dark velvety neck patches) and skin tags in skin folds.
These signs often indicate advanced insulin resistance but are reversible with improved insulin control.

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Most of us will never have our insulin levels tested, yet this single hormone is the body’s master regulator of energy. When it stops working properly, almost every system in the body is affected, from how we store fat, to how we age.

Today’s guest is Dr Ben Bikman, a scientist and world-leading expert on insulin and metabolism. He’s a Professor in the Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology at Brigham Young University (BYU) and has spent years researching how changes inside our cells lead to common metabolic disorders, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dementia. He frequently publishes his research in peer-reviewed journals, speaks at scientific conferences all over the world and is the author of 2 books, Why We Get Sick and How Not to Get Sick.

In this conversation, we discuss:

Why insulin is the body’s “master hormone”, guiding how we store and use energy and how resistance to it can cause a wide range of chronic health problems.
The fact that almost 9 in 10 adults show signs of poor metabolic health, and why this is a global issue that affects countries far beyond the United States.
How ethnicity and genetics shape the way we store fat, explaining why two people of the same weight and size can face very different risks of conditions like type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
Why focusing only on blood glucose misses the early warning signs of poor metabolic health, and why measuring insulin levels offers a clearer and earlier picture of risk.
The visible clues your body may already be giving you – such as skin tags or darker, velvety patches of skin around the neck or armpits – that can indicate chronically elevated insulin.
Practical strategies to bring insulin down, from reducing refined sugars and starches to spacing out meals and experimenting with fasting in ways that work for both men and women.

So often, we’re told that chronic illnesses are inevitable or a natural part of ageing. But as Ben explains, many of these conditions have a common origin – and by focusing on insulin resistance, we can take powerful steps towards prevention and even reversal.

This conversation is not about fear, but empowerment. It’s a reminder that our everyday choices – how and what we eat, how we move, and how often we give our bodies a rest from food – can profoundly influence our future health.

I hope you enjoy listening.

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/582

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.