Determining the level of insulin in your blood is much easier than you might think. There’s a specific insulin blood test that directly measures your blood insulin level. But because insulin is a volatile and unstable substance, only the very best testing labs can perform the procedure reliably and come up with a stable, useful result.

But there’s a much easier and simpler way to determine the level of insulin in your blood. Since the consumption of refined carbohydrates increases both the level of insulin and also at the same time increases the level of a fat known as triglyceride. The two rise and fall in unison.

The more carbohydrate you consume the higher your blood insulin and triglyceride levels will climb. Very few doctors perform the insulin test, but most include a triglyceride blood test as a regular part of a routine panel of blood tests. (If your doctor doesn’t routinely perform a triglyceride test, they probably will if you ask.) 

Here’s a rough comparison between the two levels:

                          Triglyceride                       Insulin

Very High:       500 mg/dl or above              13+ uIU/mL
High:               200-499 mg/dl                      11-12 uIU/mL
Borderline:     150-199 mg/dl                       9-10 uIU/mL
Normal:          Less than 150 mg/dl             7-9 uIU/mL

Remember, if your triglyceride level is over 500 and/or your insulin level is over 13, your risk of heart disease is approximately eight times normal!

I’m confident that eventually a blood insulin test will become a standard part of any medical visit but for now you can use the triglyceride test in its place. ■