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Syndrome X: The Secret to the Puzzle of Weight Control
It's lunchtime. You pop a low-fat, frozen pasta dish into the microwave and enjoy it with a fruit juice. A couple of hours later, your energy wanes and you have trouble concentrating. So you head to the vending machine for a bag of low-fat chips. On your way home, you eat a peach. You're still hungry, but you're optimistic about how you've limited your calories and restricted your fat intake. Maybe this time you can really stick to a diet that will help you lose weight and feel good. Right? WRONG!
Pasta + juice + low-fat chips + fruit all add up to one thing: a diet of high carbohydrates … and lots of carbohydrates is exactly what you want to stay away from—if you want to lose weight, feel good and maintain your health.
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Carbohydrates taste good and fulfill our cravings, but, unfortunately, even though they may be low-fat or fat-free, they can add pounds, and raise your levels of insulin, cholesterol and triglycerides, contributing to Syndrome X.
What's the answer? You can restrict your intake of carbohydrates including sugar, starch and grains … that's the popular low-carbohydrate diet and that's ok but there is another way. By using the right combination of supplements, designed to control your levels of blood sugar and insulin, you will get all the benefits of a low-carbohydrate diet without the hassle … and you'll watch those pounds of body fat drop away at a rate that will astonish you … sometimes as much as 4 pounds per week!
What is Syndrome X?
Syndrome X is not some rare, mysterious disease. It is a term coined in 1988 by Stanford University endocrinologist Dr. Gerald Reaven, that describes a group of symptoms including high blood pressure, abdominal obesity (a "spare tire" around the middle), insulin resistance, high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL or "good" lipoproteins.12 In the past 13 years, low levels of antioxidant vitamins and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), high cortisol levels, and depression have been added to the list.3
Some experts estimate that as many as two-thirds of Americans may be suffering from Syndrome X. It can remain effectively hidden for years, masquerading as symptoms of other conditions including fatigue, poor mental concentration, abdominal (apple-shaped) obesity, edema (fluid retention), nerve damage and an intense craving for sweets.
How do you develop Syndrome X?
Syndrome X develops over time, mainly from a diet high in refined carbohydrates such as breads, starches and sweets. These foods trigger a rapid increase in blood sugar levels, and the body responds by raising levels of insulin. The more carbohydrates you eat, the more your body pumps out insulin to deal with all the extra blood sugar. Eventually, your body becomes overwhelmed by the amount of insulin, sluggish in response to it—and you've developed insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance and Syndrome X can go undetected for up to 40 years, or until serious complications begin to surface and the pancreas just can't keep up with the demand for insulin. Some people produce two, three or four times the normal amount of insulin. Yet, because the cells have lost their sensitivity to the hormone, they require even more of it to maintain normal glucose levels.
When blood sugar and insulin levels go up, Syndrome X and weight gain result. In advanced stages of Syndrome X, when the pancreas can no longer keep up, adult onset diabetes II may develop. Syndrome X also generates high levels of cell-damaging free radicals and causes premature aging. Some researchers believe it can also increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and some types of cancer.4
Fortunately, by understanding the mechanism of Syndrome X, we can now stop it in its tracks and even reverse it, leading to improved health, longer life, greater mental clarity and … yes … rapid and permanent weight loss.
Editor's Note:
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This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a physician before embarking on a dietary supplement program.
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