Posted on March 21, 2025 - 8:39 pm by Ali Chappell

Inflammation and Insulin Resistance: Calm the Chaos

If you’ve been told you have chronic inflammation—maybe from blood work or based on symptoms like joint pain, fatigue, skin issues, or even autoimmune flares—it’s natural to wonder where it’s all coming from.

We’re often told that inflammation is bad, but not why it’s happening.

The truth is, if you’re insulin resistant (and millions of people are), your immune system might be in a constant state of overreaction, and insulin is at the heart of it.

Let’s break it down.

What Even Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to something it thinks is a threat. Like a swollen ankle after a sprain—that’s your body sending immune cells to repair damage.

But in chronic inflammation, the immune system doesn’t turn off. It’s like having a fire alarm going off all day… even when there’s no fire. Over time, this wears down your body and causes all sorts of health issues.

Step 1: Insulin Resistance = Too Much Insulin

When your body becomes insulin resistant, your pancreas has to pump out more and more insulin just to keep blood sugar in check.

You might still have “normal” glucose on labs, but behind the scenes, your insulin is sky-high.

And guess what?

Insulin doesn’t just talk to your muscles and fat cells. It talks to your immune cells too.

Step 2: Insulin Cranks Up Immune Cells

Your immune system is made up of all kinds of cells, each with a specific role.

Two of the key players are:

B cells – They produce antibodies and help your body respond to infections.
T cells – They help regulate the immune response and kill infected cells.

Here’s the kicker: B cells actually have insulin receptors. When insulin is high, those B cells:

Multiply more than they should
Become more inflammatory
Start reacting to things they shouldn’t

It’s like insulin turns them into that one guy at the bar who’s had too many drinks and is just itching to start a fight. It leads to a body that’s on edge, attacking harmless things, and staying in a state of constant inflammation.

Step 3: An Overstimulated Immune System = Distracted Defenses

When your immune system is constantly activated—fighting off things it thinks are threats—it can’t properly handle the real ones.

That means:

It misses cancer cells that should’ve been destroyed
You get sick more easily and take longer to recover
You have more flares from autoimmune or inflammatory conditions

It’s like having a security system that’s constantly going off because a tree blew past the camera—but when someone actually breaks in, no one notices.

Step 4: T Cells Join the Chaos

Normally, T cells help balance the immune system—some ramp it up, others calm it down. But when insulin levels stay elevated, this balance gets thrown off too.

The calming T cells lose their ability to keep things in check, while the aggressive ones go rogue.

That’s why insulin resistance is linked to:

Autoimmune disease
Joint pain
Brain fog
Skin conditions
Heart disease

Because your body stays in a state of low-level warfare.

Step 5: The Cycle Continues

Chronic inflammation makes insulin resistance worse, and insulin resistance fuels more inflammation.

It’s a vicious cycle. And unless you lower insulin levels, the immune system never gets the signal to stand down.

The Solution: Calm the Insulin. Calm the Chaos.

A Low Insulin Lifestyle helps:

Lower insulin naturally
Improve immune balance
Reduce inflammation at the root
Give your body the chance to heal

You don’t need endless anti-inflammatory supplements. You need to stop the overactivation at the source.

Bottom Line

If you feel inflamed, foggy, or just off, your immune system may not be the bad guy—it might just be confused. High insulin keeps it on high alert, constantly responding to things that aren’t threats… while missing the real ones.

The result? You feel sick more often, heal slower, and risk more serious issues down the road.

The good news? You can calm it all down.