A study by the Mayo Clinic presented at the 2012 European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich August 27, showed that normal weight people with belly fat have a higher risk of death than obese people. The study looked at the BMI (weight in kg / height in m squared) and waist/hip ratios of 12,785 adult Americans. Those with normal BMI but with central obesity (high waist/hip ratio) had the highest risk of cardiovascular death (2.75x) and of death from all causes (2.08x) compared with those with normal BMI and normal waist/hip ratios.
Why should this be? Visceral (belly) fat around the organs is associated with increased insulin resistance. And as I’ve discussed many times, insulin resistance is the common factor in the symptoms of metabolic syndrome: high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and diabetes.
What this study shows is that while BMI is an important risk factor of cardiovascular death (think heart attacks), having a “beer belly” is even more significant. If you have a high BMI you need to do something about it – lose fat, gain muscle, or both. But even if your BMI is normal and you have a high waist/hip ratio, you still need to do something. What is considered a high waist-hip ratio? For men a ratio below 0.85 is considered “excellent” and over 0.95 “at risk”; for women it’s 0.75 and 0.86 respectively. See Dr. Mercola's article for a more detailed table and a height:waist table. I’m just finishing 9 weeks on the Ideal Protein Diet and my ratio is 0.86 (it was 0.94 before I started). My Body Fat %, as measured on the Body Composition Analyzer (a more accurate measurement than BMI), is 22.5 which puts me in the middle of the “Acceptable” range. To improve it further (the “Fitness” level for men is 14-18%) I now need to work at building muscle.
If you would like to know what your Body Fat % is, I am offering free readings at the Ideal Protein information meeting tonight (Monday November 19) starting at 7:00 pm. If you missed it, just stop in any time and ask for a free BCA reading.
For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
Showing posts with label syndrome X. Show all posts
Showing posts with label syndrome X. Show all posts
November 19, 2012
December 12, 2011
144 Obesity & Heart Disease [12 December 2011]
Being overweight is a strong risk factor for heart disease (and many other health conditions). A recent study in Greece suggests that it is not the extra fat we carry but the metabolic syndrome which frequently accompanies obesity that should be our biggest concern. Metabolic syndrome, which I have written about previously, is a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insulin resistance.
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in September 2011, followed 550 people in their 50s and 60s for six years. It showed for the first time that otherwise healthy obese people have a lower risk of heart disease than normal weight people with metabolic syndrome. This held true after adjusting for known risk factors including age, sex, cigarette smoking, glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, blood pressure and waist circumference.
Those with metabolic syndrome, regardless of weight, had 2.13 to 2.66 times the risk of a normal weight person without the syndrome (the highest risk was for the obese with the syndrome). Those without the syndrome had between 0.41 and 1.12 times the risk (the healthy obese people actually had the lowest risk). The study did NOT suggest that being obese is healthier (besides it is associated with other problems like cancer and arthritis which were not included in this study). It clearly does however support my belief that metabolic syndrome is a very significant health risk, whether you are overweight or normal. The study also warns that this pattern may change in older populations (healthy overweight seniors are rare).
As I have explained before, insulin resistance (IR) is the key to metabolic syndrome. When IR is controlled, blood pressure and cholesterol are normalized and inflammation is reduced (all without the need for drugs I might add). The best way I know to control insulin resistance, even if you only need to lose 10 or 20 lbs, is with the Ideal Protein diet. And if you are overweight but still healthy, now is the best time to deal with it before these other health problems arise.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in September 2011, followed 550 people in their 50s and 60s for six years. It showed for the first time that otherwise healthy obese people have a lower risk of heart disease than normal weight people with metabolic syndrome. This held true after adjusting for known risk factors including age, sex, cigarette smoking, glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, blood pressure and waist circumference.
Those with metabolic syndrome, regardless of weight, had 2.13 to 2.66 times the risk of a normal weight person without the syndrome (the highest risk was for the obese with the syndrome). Those without the syndrome had between 0.41 and 1.12 times the risk (the healthy obese people actually had the lowest risk). The study did NOT suggest that being obese is healthier (besides it is associated with other problems like cancer and arthritis which were not included in this study). It clearly does however support my belief that metabolic syndrome is a very significant health risk, whether you are overweight or normal. The study also warns that this pattern may change in older populations (healthy overweight seniors are rare).
As I have explained before, insulin resistance (IR) is the key to metabolic syndrome. When IR is controlled, blood pressure and cholesterol are normalized and inflammation is reduced (all without the need for drugs I might add). The best way I know to control insulin resistance, even if you only need to lose 10 or 20 lbs, is with the Ideal Protein diet. And if you are overweight but still healthy, now is the best time to deal with it before these other health problems arise.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
March 12, 2011
085 Eicosanoids and Inflammation [18 October 2010]
This week I will discuss another problem associated with Syndrome X – inflammation. People with insulin resistance frequently suffer pain and inflammation which may manifest as a variety of “itis” conditions like arthritis, colitis, asthma or psoriasis.
Eicosanoids are hormone like compounds, synthesized in our body from Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids (EFAs). There are 4 families of eicosanoids – prostaglandins, prostacyclins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes. These can be classed into Series One and Series Two (also known as COX-1 and COX-2). Series One Eicosanoids are anti-inflammatory – they reduce pain and inflammation, dilate blood vessels, enhance the immune system, dilate airways and prevent platelet aggregation. Series Two Eicosanoids are pro-inflammatory – increasing pain and inflammation, constricting blood vessels (increasing blood pressure), suppressing the immune system, constricting airways (think asthma) and promoting platelet aggregation (blood clotting). To be healthy we need both in balance but you can see that too much Series Two would be undesirable.
Series One are mostly synthesized from Omega 3 EFAs and Series Two from Omega 6s. Since a typical diet tends to be much higher in Omega 6s ( about 20:1), increasing Omega 3s by eating more fish or taking fish oil supplements will help balance the eicosanoid production. Secondly, the presence of excess insulin stimulates the conversion of the fatty acids to Series Two Eicosanoids; while glucagon (the hormone that balances insulin) encourages the conversion to Series One. Maintaining insulin levels at normal low levels is a safe and effective way to balance the eicosanoids and control inflammation.
The most effective way I know to safely lower insulin levels and reduce insulin resistance is with the Ideal Protein diet. Many people on this diet have experienced reduction of inflammation without the need for drugs. Another nice “side-effect” of a diet which helps you burn unwanted fat safely and easily.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
Eicosanoids are hormone like compounds, synthesized in our body from Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids (EFAs). There are 4 families of eicosanoids – prostaglandins, prostacyclins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes. These can be classed into Series One and Series Two (also known as COX-1 and COX-2). Series One Eicosanoids are anti-inflammatory – they reduce pain and inflammation, dilate blood vessels, enhance the immune system, dilate airways and prevent platelet aggregation. Series Two Eicosanoids are pro-inflammatory – increasing pain and inflammation, constricting blood vessels (increasing blood pressure), suppressing the immune system, constricting airways (think asthma) and promoting platelet aggregation (blood clotting). To be healthy we need both in balance but you can see that too much Series Two would be undesirable.
Series One are mostly synthesized from Omega 3 EFAs and Series Two from Omega 6s. Since a typical diet tends to be much higher in Omega 6s ( about 20:1), increasing Omega 3s by eating more fish or taking fish oil supplements will help balance the eicosanoid production. Secondly, the presence of excess insulin stimulates the conversion of the fatty acids to Series Two Eicosanoids; while glucagon (the hormone that balances insulin) encourages the conversion to Series One. Maintaining insulin levels at normal low levels is a safe and effective way to balance the eicosanoids and control inflammation.
The most effective way I know to safely lower insulin levels and reduce insulin resistance is with the Ideal Protein diet. Many people on this diet have experienced reduction of inflammation without the need for drugs. Another nice “side-effect” of a diet which helps you burn unwanted fat safely and easily.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
084 Insulin and Blood Pressure [11 October 2010]
As discussed two weeks ago, one of the symptoms of Syndrome X is hypertension (high blood pressure). This week I will explore the connection between blood pressure and insulin. People with insulin resistance, where sufficient insulin is produced but is unable to move glucose out of the blood into muscles, frequently develop hypertension.
High insulin levels stimulate the kidneys to retain sodium (and therefore fluid) and to excrete potassium, both factors known to increase blood pressure.
Insulin also increases movement of magnesium out of the blood and into the cells, lowering serum magnesium levels. Magnesium dilates smooth muscle (think artery walls), so lower levels will result in constriction of arteries, increasing blood pressure. Magnesium is also necessary for proper insulin receptor function so, as magnesium levels decline, insulin resistance increases even more.
Another way that insulin increases blood pressure is by stimulating the release of a hormone called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This causes increased growth of smooth muscle cells of the arteries making them narrower and less elastic. VEGF is also implicated in angiogenesis – the growth of new blood vessels to feed tumors. And unfortunately the class of drugs called insulin receptor sensitizers used to correct the underlying problem of insulin resistance increases the stimulation of VEGF.
The most effective way I know to safely lower insulin levels and reduce insulin resistance is with the Ideal Protein diet. Most people on this diet experience rapid improvement in blood pressure without the need for drugs. That’s a nice “side-effect” of a diet which helps you burn unwanted fat safely and easily.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
High insulin levels stimulate the kidneys to retain sodium (and therefore fluid) and to excrete potassium, both factors known to increase blood pressure.
Insulin also increases movement of magnesium out of the blood and into the cells, lowering serum magnesium levels. Magnesium dilates smooth muscle (think artery walls), so lower levels will result in constriction of arteries, increasing blood pressure. Magnesium is also necessary for proper insulin receptor function so, as magnesium levels decline, insulin resistance increases even more.
Another way that insulin increases blood pressure is by stimulating the release of a hormone called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This causes increased growth of smooth muscle cells of the arteries making them narrower and less elastic. VEGF is also implicated in angiogenesis – the growth of new blood vessels to feed tumors. And unfortunately the class of drugs called insulin receptor sensitizers used to correct the underlying problem of insulin resistance increases the stimulation of VEGF.
The most effective way I know to safely lower insulin levels and reduce insulin resistance is with the Ideal Protein diet. Most people on this diet experience rapid improvement in blood pressure without the need for drugs. That’s a nice “side-effect” of a diet which helps you burn unwanted fat safely and easily.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
083 Insulin and Cholesterol [4 October 2010]
As discussed last week, one of the symptoms of Syndrome X is hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol). This week I will explore the connection between cholesterol and insulin. Insulin resistance, where sufficient insulin is produced but is unable to move glucose out of the blood into muscles, results in ever increasing levels of both insulin and glucose.
Cholesterol is essential for life. It is the basis for the synthesis of: the sex hormones, Vitamin D, scar tissue in wound healing, the myelin sheath of nerves, and all cell membranes. Excess cholesterol in the blood is a concern because it can stick to the lining of the arteries, leading to heart disease. Dietary sources of cholesterol contribute to less than 20% of blood levels; the remaining 80% is synthesized in the liver and other tissues. Thus controlling production is more effective than diet in cholesterol management.
In the bloodstream, LDL (low density lipoproteins) transport cholesterol and triglycerides to the cells; HDL (high density lipoproteins) carry excess cholesterol back to the liver for elimination. Thus the LDL/HDL ratio is of more clinical significance than total cholesterol.
A high insulin level stimulates the storage of triglycerides as fat. At the same time it also stimulates the production of cholesterol by increasing the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase (the same enzyme blocked by statin drugs). With normal low levels of insulin the triglycerides are burned for fuel in the mitochondria of the cells instead of being stored, and instead of producing more cholesterol the cell will pull it out of the bloodstream.
Most people on a diet which manages insulin levels at a normal low level experience lower total cholesterol and improved LDL/HDL ratios without the need for cholesterol drugs. That’s a nice “side-effect” of a diet which helps you burn unwanted fat safely and easily.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
Cholesterol is essential for life. It is the basis for the synthesis of: the sex hormones, Vitamin D, scar tissue in wound healing, the myelin sheath of nerves, and all cell membranes. Excess cholesterol in the blood is a concern because it can stick to the lining of the arteries, leading to heart disease. Dietary sources of cholesterol contribute to less than 20% of blood levels; the remaining 80% is synthesized in the liver and other tissues. Thus controlling production is more effective than diet in cholesterol management.
In the bloodstream, LDL (low density lipoproteins) transport cholesterol and triglycerides to the cells; HDL (high density lipoproteins) carry excess cholesterol back to the liver for elimination. Thus the LDL/HDL ratio is of more clinical significance than total cholesterol.
A high insulin level stimulates the storage of triglycerides as fat. At the same time it also stimulates the production of cholesterol by increasing the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase (the same enzyme blocked by statin drugs). With normal low levels of insulin the triglycerides are burned for fuel in the mitochondria of the cells instead of being stored, and instead of producing more cholesterol the cell will pull it out of the bloodstream.
Most people on a diet which manages insulin levels at a normal low level experience lower total cholesterol and improved LDL/HDL ratios without the need for cholesterol drugs. That’s a nice “side-effect” of a diet which helps you burn unwanted fat safely and easily.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
082 Syndrome X [27 September 2010]
Also known as Metabolic Syndrome, Syndrome X is a generalized disorder with four defining symptoms: hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), hypertension (high blood pressure) and central obesity (a big gut!).
The common factor in these four symptoms is insulin resistance caused by a diet high in simple carbohydrates. With insulin resistance, sufficient or even excess insulin is produced by the pancreas but it is unable to move the glucose into the muscle cells. This leaves high glucose blood levels which triggers the pancreas to produce even more insulin in an attempt to lower the blood sugar. And it is the high insulin levels remaining in the blood which leads to the other symptoms.
Excess insulin in the blood, called hyperinsulinism (HI), stimulates the kidneys to retain sodium and excrete potassium and magnesium, and increases growth of smooth muscle cells, all of which contribute to hypertension. HI, through many different biochemical pathways, stimulates the production of triglycerides, excess cholesterol and LDL (the “bad” lipoprotein), while limiting production of HDL (the “good” lipoprotein). Other “symptoms” of HI include coronary artery disease (heart attacks and strokes), inflammation (arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.), and acid reflux (“heartburn”). In future columns I will explore each of these in more detail. Source: “The relationship between insulin and glucagon in the pathogenesis of Syndrome X” by Michael P. Ciell, R.Ph.
It makes sense that health problems caused by diet are best treated with diet. Correct the underlying cause (hyperinsulinism) and the symptoms (hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity) should clear up with no undesirable side effects. The safest way I know to accomplish this is with a ketogenic diet designed to preserve muscle mass.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
The common factor in these four symptoms is insulin resistance caused by a diet high in simple carbohydrates. With insulin resistance, sufficient or even excess insulin is produced by the pancreas but it is unable to move the glucose into the muscle cells. This leaves high glucose blood levels which triggers the pancreas to produce even more insulin in an attempt to lower the blood sugar. And it is the high insulin levels remaining in the blood which leads to the other symptoms.
Excess insulin in the blood, called hyperinsulinism (HI), stimulates the kidneys to retain sodium and excrete potassium and magnesium, and increases growth of smooth muscle cells, all of which contribute to hypertension. HI, through many different biochemical pathways, stimulates the production of triglycerides, excess cholesterol and LDL (the “bad” lipoprotein), while limiting production of HDL (the “good” lipoprotein). Other “symptoms” of HI include coronary artery disease (heart attacks and strokes), inflammation (arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.), and acid reflux (“heartburn”). In future columns I will explore each of these in more detail. Source: “The relationship between insulin and glucagon in the pathogenesis of Syndrome X” by Michael P. Ciell, R.Ph.
It makes sense that health problems caused by diet are best treated with diet. Correct the underlying cause (hyperinsulinism) and the symptoms (hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity) should clear up with no undesirable side effects. The safest way I know to accomplish this is with a ketogenic diet designed to preserve muscle mass.
This article is intended for educational purposes only; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.
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