Ben Bikman

At a glance

• Ben Bikman is a professor of cell biology and physiology at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah, where he leads the Laboratory of Obesity and Metabolism.
• His lab studies how insulin, ketones and fatty compounds such as ceramides affect metabolism. In animal experiments by his team, animals fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet stayed insulin sensitive when ceramide production was blocked.
• In his book Why We Get Sick (2020) he argues that insulin resistance is the hidden cause of most chronic diseases. He recommends keeping insulin low through fewer carbohydrates, fasting and exercise.
• What the science says: insulin resistance plays a role in type 2 diabetes and is linked to cardiovascular disease and other conditions, but most diseases have several causes.
• An independent expert review by Red Pen Reviews (2022) gave the book 52 percent. It found the claim that carbohydrates and high insulin are the main causes of insulin resistance poorly supported, and 9 of the 10 references checked supported the claim weakly or not at all.
• Much of his argument rests on cell and animal studies and insulin infusion experiments, which say less about ordinary people than controlled human trials.
• What you can do with it: more physical activity, weight loss if you are overweight and fewer highly processed carbohydrates help with insulin resistance. A strict low-carb diet is not required for that, and anyone with diabetes or on medication should discuss it with a doctor.