What is Metabolic Syndrome?  ('Syndrome X', Insulin Resistance)

Metabolic Syndrome, which used to be called 'Syndrome X' is a metabolic disorder involving insulin resistance which can cause a variety of serious health issues. These issues are linked by the inability of the body to regulate sugar properly - this is the 'insulin resistance' referred to. Metabolic Syndrome is rarely diagnosed by doctors, even thought the scientific evidence is there to be found, if you are looking for it.

Metabolic Syndrome: Why All The Fuss?
With the identifying of Metabolic Syndrome, millions of people with serious, hard-to-treat health conditions now have a likely cause to investigate: Metabolic Syndrome. The good news is that a self-administered treatment method is perfectly possible, and can produce good improvements in weeks.

The serious health conditions implicated in Metabolic Syndrome (aka 'Syndrome X' or 'Insulin Resistance') include:

• High blood pressure
  
• Heart and artery disease
  
• Obesity - especially affecting the middle abdomen
  
• Type 2 diabetes, and pre-diabetes
  
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
  
• Unexplained fatigue

Also included, are any blood sugar issues, eg low blood sugar episodes. If you have one of these health conditions - consider that you might have Metabolic Syndrome. If you have any two, the possibility of Metabolic Syndrome is very much stronger.

The Basics Of Metabolic Syndrome

A major risk factor in producing Metabolic Syndrome is the consumption of too much starchy food.

Too much starch in the diet raises the sugar level in the blood (starchy food is mainly sugar) which remains high for much of the day. This constant sugar level results in repeated demands for insulin from the pancreas, which influence the cells to take the sugar in. The main cells which do this are muscle cells and the adipose tissue cells which store fat, and are located deep in the addomen. These cells eventually tire of taking in the high sugar load such that it takes more and more insulin to get the sugar out of the blood stream. Eventually this extra insulin produces various very undesirable effects; and meanwhile the adipose tissue has stored lots of sugar as fat, creating a 'spare tire'. This is the insulin resistance which is an essential pat of metabolic syndrome.

The answers, in short, are:
1. Modify the diet dramatically, and
2. Get more exericise.

If you reduce your intake of starch as well as get exercise, your health can improve steadily and markedly. In other words: it's the 'usual old story' of good health - diet and exercise.

If you cut your starch intake dramatically - to a tiny 3 ounces (90g) a day - some say you will also live much longer. We will be examining that theory, which has a lot of science behind it.

If you understand the fairly straightforward mechanism of how Metabolic Syndrome produces its highly damaging effects, your motiviation to change your lifestyle for a healthier one will - we hope - be strengthened. This will especially be so if you are experiencing the highly unpleasant and dangerous effects of diseases such as heart and artery disease, high blood pressure, or polycystic ovary syndrome.

Once again - the basic factor involved in this syndrome is insulin resistance - that is, the resistance of our cells to the effects of insulin -  the cells get tired of constantly being exposed to insulin and they just 'resist' responding to it. The body then tries to resolve this issue by producing more insulin - and this raised level of insuloin is what causes a variety of health issues.

We hope you find this information as eye-opening as we do.

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During Summer-Autumn 2007, each topic listed below will be
considered progressively in a detailed article added to this site.
Sign up to receive a link to each article by email as it is published.

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Full list of articles in preparation about Metabolic Syndrome
 (Syndrome X, Insulin Resistance)
(Hyperlinked when ready)

• The Key Factor In Metabolic Syndrome: Insulin Resistance
  
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Ketosis
• What's The Problem With Excess Insulin?
• The Health Problems Accompanying Metabolic Syndrome
  
  • Metabolic Syndrome And High Blood Pressure
    
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Atherosclerosis
    
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Diabetes
    
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Fatty Liver
    
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Heart Disease
    
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Obesity
    
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Polycycstic Ovary Syndrome
• Metabolic Syndrome: Treatment
  
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Diet
    
    • Metabolic Syndrome: The Problems Of Starchy Food
      
  • Herbs To Help The Pancreas And Liver
    
    • Gymnema sylvestre: 'Sugar Destroyer'
      • Gymnema And Weight Loss
      • Gymnema and Diabetes
      • Gymnema: Dosage
      • Gymnema: Cautions
        
  • Metabolic Syndrome And Exercise
    
• Who Discovered Metabolic Syndrome?
  
• Metabolic Syndrome: What's Happening In My Blood and My Body?
  
• What Shall I Tell My Doctor About Metabolic Syndrome?
  
• Metabolic Syndrome And Life Extension (Longevity)
  
• Metabolic Syndrome: Resources

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