Attended the Boca Low Carb Conference last weekend virtually where I was able to listen to my favorite researcher and authority on insulin, Dr Ben Bickman out of Utah. He answered one of my questions about why my glucose spiked after months of ketosis if I slip up and have a treat. In other words, I overreact to glucose. Dr Boz explains that our bodies have terrific memories of days gone by, which may explain part of the issue. Dr Ben explained that your pancreas gets used to not have to store a quick release of insulin because I had such low demand for months. In most people, the pancreas keeps this ready jolt of insulin for those occasional spikes of carbs. My pancreas says “Why bother!”
Back in the early 2000’s, I went to Denver’s Low Carb doctor (Dr. Gerber) and he wanted to do a standard Glucose Tolerance Test. I had been low carb for several months to a year. My glucose not only spiked but it stay elevated long enough for him to declare that I was a diabetic. He gave me many pamphlets to read! I just did not feel that this could be correct. Something in me believed that I overacted because it had been so long since I had injested carbs much less to the level of the GTT test. He admitted in later years that that was the case.
The quote from Dr Ben:
The Keto diet induces Glucose Intolerance because the beta cells have not needed the two phases of insulin production but just one, and do not need to store a bunch (bolus – the first stage) for future spikes because there haven’t been spikes when in Keto so long.
Ben Bickman – 2023 Low Carb Conference Boca