Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X, Y, Z...?

The variable combination of obesity, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension, linked by an underlying resistance to insulin, is the number-one public health problem facing America.

Retrospective data from the National Health Nutritional Survey for the period 1988 to 1994 implied 47 million Americans had metabolic syndrome. The current prevalence of the syndrome may now be approximately one in every four adults in the U.S. population, or about 70 million individuals.

Excessive dietary intake of refined sugar, lack of exercise, poorly de fined genetic tendencies, environmental toxins and adverse lifestyles contribute variably to the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome.

Current pharmaceutical and surgical approaches to manage the syndrome have many obvious disadvantages and limitations. Federal government researchers have suggested focused treatments of individual components of the syndrome (hypercholestemia, obesity and hyper tension) are unlikely to provide a better outcome than integrated management strategies. The notion of integrative management strategies as first line options for syndrome X opens the door for management with dietary ingredients.

Soluble fiber, for example, reduces post-prandial blood glucose and blood cholesterol , improves glucose tolerance, regulates bowel function and primes the immune system. In addition, soluble fiber promotes satiety and has other intrinsic metabolic effects. Other nutritive substances that may aid in weight management include Hoodia gordonii and white kidney bean extract.

On other aspects of syndrome X, fish oil sensitizes insulin by acting on PPAR receptors and has cardiovascular benefits and anti-inflammatory act ions. Other insulin sensitizers include chromium, vanadium and maitake mushroom, while cinnamon serves as an insulin mimetic. Another specialty compound, green coffee bean extract, supplies chlorogenic acid, which may assist in the correction of dysglycemia.

There are other less obvious disease conditions linked to syndrome X. For example, obesity and excess body fat can be classified as inflammatory conditions, and inflammation is a key factor in the pat hophysiology of metabolics yndrome X . The inflammatory disease link with obesity further explains the undesirable effects of insulin resistance.

In addition, the progression of complications of obesity an d syndrome X is related to oxidative tissue stress and the development of advanced glycation end products (AGES), which can be specifically targeted by the antioxidant alphalipoic acid. Further, the treatment of obesity-related disease is incomplete without supporting antioxidant functions. Antiox idants such as anthocyanidins, ellagic acid, turmeric, bioflavonoids, green tea polyphenols, vitamins and minerals should be given with REDOX balance to access all the hydrophilic and lipophillic properties of body tissues.

A less obvious link exists between metabolic syndrome X and chronic lack of sleep. Forced sleep deprivation in healthy young adults appears to be diabetogenic, as evidenced by detectible alterations of glucose metabolism. Sleeplessness has been associated with decreases in the normal nocturnal surge of thyrotropin or growth hormone and increases in corticosteroid secretion. These hormonal changes are often present in the elderly, reinforcing the notion of a potential causal relationship among sleeplessness and/or obesity and premature aging.

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines

Read Comments [0]