What does cause an increase of insulin?

On a low carb diet, my blood glucose levels go up when eating few carbs and little protein. Does this show that my insulin response is low and that a low carb diet protects me from an increase in insulin resistance?

• Quora didn't allow me to ask the whole question so let me explain. I've used low carb dieting for a decade to keep off ~50 pounds and avoid type 2 diabetes, which both of my siblings had at a much younger age than I currently am (51). Since I've noticed that my blood sugar elevates to prediabetes level (100-125) on low carb while consuming almost no carbs and adequate protein (to avoid excess gluconeogenesis), it seems to me that one explanation might be that my insulin response is reduced. When I cheat and eat carbs after a carb fast, however, I find it sometimes lower (in the 80s). This got me thinking that perhaps my blood glucose level is finding it's natural level on low carb and the introduction of carbs - and the attendant insulin response - pushes down the blood glucose level because I have better insulin response. It leads me to conclude that measuring blood glucose alone might not be enough in low carb individuals because there is no measure of insulin. While high blood glucose is bad, so is high insulin. So the question is (if my assumptions aren't completely off-base): is a slight elevation of blood glucose better than chronic hyperinsulinemia?

• Answer:

  Hi Ethan, I see from your comment elsewhere that you have been on low-carb for a decade; you might consider putting your comment into the question details as they do provide important, relevant context.  In any case, I highly suggest that you give the following a read as it addresses exactly the issue that you are pondering: http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2007/10/physiological-insulin-resistance.html In short, people on long-term low-carb diets can expect the following: fasting blood glucose trending up into the prediabetic range "failing" abrupt oral glucose tolerance tests mild reactive hypoglycaemia on abrupt introduction of large carb intakes In a long-term low-carb individual, these are all normal, expected, and not indicative of a pathological condition, even though they would otherwise be considered alarming in a typical high-carb individual. As a long-term low-carber, the more useful marker would be the HbA1c test.  I suspect that if you do one you will find yourself at or below 5%, well into the "Normal" range or better in terms of diabetes diagnostic criteria.