"Metabolic Syndrome" --
the Symptoms, Causes and Solutions
by www.SixWise.com
Over 50 million Americans have a cluster of symptoms known
as "metabolic syndrome," and even more are at risk
of this increasingly common disease. You may have metabolic
syndrome, which is also known as Syndrome X, insulin resistance
syndrome, and dysmetabolic syndrome, if you have three or
more of the following symptoms:
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A recent study found that eating lots of fried foods
and refined grains, or drinking diet soda, significantly
increases your risk of metabolic syndrome.
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High blood pressure
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High blood sugar levels
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High levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your
blood
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Low
levels of HDL (good cholesterol) in your blood
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Too much fat around your waist (specifically a waistline
of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for
women (measured across the belly))
What makes metabolic syndrome so dangerous is that this cluster
of symptoms significantly increases your risk of heart disease,
stroke and type 2 diabetes.
While several factors appear to cause metabolic syndrome,
the dominant underlying risk factors for this syndrome appear
to be abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. The food you
eat normally gets broken
down into sugar (glucose), which enters your cells for
fuel. Insulin is made by your pancreas to help the glucose
enter cells.
However, if you are insulin resistant, your cells don't respond
to the insulin, and, as a result, your body keeps making more
and more of it. The end result is an increased level of both
insulin and glucose in your blood. Although in metabolic syndrome
the levels may not be high enough to qualify as diabetes,
they still interfere with your body's normal functions by:
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Raising your levels of triglycerides and other blood
fats
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Increasing your blood pressure
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Increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes
and more
Is Your Lifestyle Putting You at Risk of Metabolic Syndrome?
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Regular exercise can help to prevent and treat metabolic
syndrome.
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A new study published in Circulation found that your diet
greatly influences your risk of metabolic syndrome. In short,
those who ate a "Western dietary pattern" with lots
of refined grains, fried food and red meat had an 18 percent
increased risk of the disease.
Further, those who drank one can of diet soda a day had a
34 percent higher risk than those who did not.
While the researchers weren't certain whether a chemical
in the diet soda, or another behavior of diet soda drinkers,
was responsible for the increased risk, it's long been known
that metabolic syndrome is influenced by lifestyle choices.
What can you do to prevent and help treat metabolic syndrome?
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Exercise for 30-60 minutes a day at a moderate intensity
level, most days of the week.
- Eat a healthy diet, which focuses on fruits and vegetables
and lean meats. Fiber-rich
foods can also help reduce insulin levels.
In fact, one Harvard Medical School study found that
people with high-fiber diets had a much lower risk of
developing metabolic syndrome.
Eating healthy also means avoiding
processed foods, fried foods and excess sweets, and
experimenting
with healthy herbs and spices.
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Quit smoking, if you do. Smoking increases insulin resistance
and worsens metabolic syndrome.
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Lose weight if you're overweight. Even losing just 5
percent to 10 percent of your body weight reduces insulin
levels, blood pressure and your risk of diabetes, according
to the Mayo Clinic.
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Monitor
your health. Check your blood sugar, blood pressure
and cholesterol levels on a regular basis. If they are
no longer in the healthy ranges, make additional positive
changes to your diet and activity level.
Recommended Reading
The
One Real Reason You Are Stressed Out, Overweight, Depressed
or Angry
Strong
Obesity and Cancer Link Now Absolutely Confirmed
Sources
Circulation
January 22, 2008
MayoClinic.com
American
Heart Association