Diabetes Management in San Francisco

Nearly 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes. Of these cases, 90 – 95% are type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this condition, the metabolism of glucose is impaired through insulin resistance, resulting in high levels of glucose and insulin in the blood.

Dr. Daniel Metzger treats diabetes by going to the root cause of insulin resistance. This includes the direct influence of food on insulin and hidden causes of insulin resistance. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and are looking to manage your symptoms, contact Dr. Daniel Metzger to discuss the lifestyle changes you can make. Dr. Metzger offers testing, diagnosis, and treatment for patients in the San Francisco area, including Mission District, Noe Valley, SoMa, North Beach, and Pacific Heights.

Lifestyle

The biggest factor in diabetes management is diet. If you’re struggling to eat well for diabetes, Dr. Daniel Metzger offers a metabolic food plan to get you on track. Insulin sensitivity can be further developed through supplements and botanicals.

Hidden Causes of Insulin Resistance

Diet alone may be enough to manage diabetes. However, there may be other factors that contribute to your insulin resistance. Dr. Daniel Metzger uses a Functional Medicine approach to find the root cause. This requires understanding how multiple body systems can affect the metabolic process. There are four major hidden contributors to insulin resistance: the gut microbiome, hormones, toxins, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Gut Microbiome – The gut yet again plays a central role in the regulation of health. Dysbiosis may cause the production of endotoxins, resulting in endotoxemia. Many of these endotoxins directly disrupt insulin receptors and promote insulin resistance. A stool test can be taken to discover the state of the gut microbiome. If this system is affected, an herb and supplement protocol will be designed to adjust your gut microbiome. This creates a healthy community of microbes with little endotoxin production.

• Hormones – Blood sugar regulation is heavily influenced by the stress hormone cortisol. When cortisol increases, it releases glucose into the blood. These spikes in blood sugar lead to corresponding spikes in insulin levels, which results in insulin resistance. An adrenal stress test can be taken to check the function of the adrenals and HPA axis. Bioidentical hormones may temporarily be prescribed to reset the HPA axis and regulate blood sugar.

• Toxins – Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) disrupt hormone functions, including insulin. Researchers have even begun calling many of these chemicals “obesogens” or “diabetogens.” Many of these toxins are compounds from petrochemical products, such as bisphenol-A or phthalates. Pesticides are another common source of POPs. We live in an increasingly toxic world. With diabetes treatment and management, it’s important to make sure that your detox system is operating optimally to process and excrete these POPs. An organic acids test gives the information needed to assess this system. A detox protocol can then be designed to aid your liver in removing these toxins.

• Mitochondrial Dysfunction – If toxins disrupt mitochondrial function, there is an increased risk for insulin resistance and diabetes. The organic acids test is used to assess mitochondria function. If the mitochondria have been impaired, it can be corrected through a supplement protocol.

If diabetes has been a problem for you I can help. Dr. Daniel Metzger treats diabetes by going to the root cause of insulin resistance. If you’d like to start addressing diabetes and insulin resistance then you can schedule a free 15-minute consultation online to learn more. Click below to check my availability.