1)What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a group of five risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. The five risk factors are: increased blood pressure (greater than 130/85 mm Hg) high blood sugar levels (insulin resistance)
Having just one of these conditions doesn’t mean you have metabolic syndrome. However, any of these conditions increase your risk of serious disease. Having more than one of these might increase your risk even more.
If you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, aggressive lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems.
Most of the disorders associated with metabolic syndrome have no symptoms, although a large waist circumference is a visible sign. If your blood sugar is very high, you might have signs and symptoms of diabetes — including increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.
What are the causes of Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is closely linked to overweight or obesity and inactivity.
It’s also linked to a condition called insulin resistance. Normally, your digestive system breaks down the foods you eat into sugar (glucose). Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that helps sugar enter your cells to be used as fuel.
In people with insulin resistance, cells don’t respond normally to insulin, and glucose can’t enter the cells as easily. As a result, glucose levels in your blood rise despite your body’s attempt to control the glucose by churning out more and more insulin.
What are the risk factors?
The following factors increase your chances of having metabolic syndrome:
-Age. Your risk of metabolic syndrome increases with age.
-Race. In the United States, Mexican-Americans appear to be at the greatest risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
-Obesity. Carrying too much weight, especially in your abdomen, increases your risk of metabolic syndrome.
-Diabetes. You’re more likely to have metabolic syndrome if you had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
-Other diseases. Your risk of metabolic syndrome is higher if you’ve ever had cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or poly cystic ovary syndrome.
Who are mostly affected?
It affects both men and women of all ages.
Asians are at higher risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome.
Is Obesity metabolic disorder?
Your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke increases with the number of metabolic risk factors you have. The risk of having metabolic syndrome is closely linked to overweight and obesity and a lack of physical activity. Insulin resistance also may increase your risk for metabolic syndrome.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Most of the disorders associated with metabolic syndrome have no symptoms, although a large waist circumference is a visible sign. If your blood sugar is very high, you might have signs and symptoms of diabetes — including increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.
How to diagnose Metabolic disorder?
Several organizations have criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome. According to guidelines used by the National Institutes of Health, you have metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of these traits or are taking medication to control them:
-Large waist circumference — a waistline that measures at least 35 inches (89 centimeters) for women and 40 inches (102 centimeters) for men
-High triglyceride level — 150 milligrams per deciliter,(mg/dL), or 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L), or higher of this type of fat found in blood
-Reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — less than 40 mg/dL (1.04 mmol/L) in men or less than 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) in women of this “good” cholesterol
-Increased blood pressure — 130/85 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or higher
-Elevated fasting blood sugar — 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) or higher
How to prevent Metabolic disorder?
-Exercise. Start slowly.
-Eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and low fat dairy, and go easy on the saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, and salt.
-Lose weight if you’re overweight.
-Quit smoking if you smoke- now.
-Schedule regular checkups with your doctor.
Is metabolic syndrome inherited?
Genetics of the metabolic syndrome. The clustering of cardiovascular risk factors such as abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and glucose intolerance in the same persons has been called the metabolic or insulin-resistance syndrome. Clustering of the syndrome in families suggests a genetic component.
What treatment is available?
A lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle is usually required to prevent serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. This includes:
Being physically active. Doctors recommend getting 30 or more minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, daily. Look for ways to increase activity, such as walking instead of driving and using stairs instead of elevators when possible.
Losing weight. Weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce insulin resistance and blood pressure and decrease your risk of diabetes.
Eating healthfully. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet, like many healthy-eating plans, limit unhealthy fats and emphasize fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains. Both dietary approaches have been found to offer important health benefits — in addition to weight loss — for people who have components of metabolic syndrome.
Stopping smoking. Smoking cigarettes worsens the health consequences of metabolic syndrome. Talk to your doctor if you need help quitting.
Managing stress. Physical activity, meditation, yoga and other programs can help you handle stress and improve your emotional and physical health.
Can Homeopathy help?
Yes, Homeopathy can help in cases of insulin Resistance. Homeopathy can help along with good diet and exercise. It helps in improving BMR.
What are the complications?
Having metabolic syndrome can increase your risk of developing:
Diabetes. If you don’t make lifestyle changes to control your excess weight, which can lead to insulin resistance, your glucose levels will continue to increase. You then might develop diabetes.
Cardiovascular disease. High cholesterol and high blood pressure can contribute to the buildup of plaques in your arteries. These plaques can narrow and harden your arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
What are the dietary restrictions and what diet should be followed?
Foods that Make Metabolic Syndrome Worse
1. Fake and Processed Foods
Avoid fake and processed foods as much as possible. These frozen, bagged and boxed items are typically devoid of nutrients and loaded with unhealthy additives and preservatives that do nothing good for your health.
2. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners like Splenda have been directly linked with the occurrence of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Accumulating evidence suggests that frequent consumers of sugar substitutes containing aspartame, sucralose and saccharin may also be at an increased risk of excessive weight gain as well as development of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
3. Diet Sodas
Since diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners as well as other unhealthy ingredients, you don’t want to touch these lethal soft drinks. Studies show that the consumption of diet soda is associated with significantly greater risks of select incident metabolic syndrome components and type 2 diabetes.
4. Trans Fats (Trans Fatty Acids)
Trans fats are found in foods made with hydrogenated oils and fats, such as margarine; baked goods like cookies, cakes and pies; crackers; frosting; and coffee creamers. They raise LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which is bad news for your waistline, heart health and metabolic disorders.
5. Refined Carbohydrates and Sugar
Consumption of these two are major culprits when it comes to high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and the development of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Sugar, especially when used to sweeten beverages, is a major culprit, as are refined carbs.
6. Alcohol
Limit alcohol intake is key to metabolic syndrome and good health in general. Too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Alcohol also adds extra calories to your diet, which can cause weight gain.
Foods that Heal
When it comes to metabolic syndrome and encouraging good health in general, you want to focus on consuming whole, real, high-quality food and drinks. Some of the top foods to heal and prevent metabolic syndrome include:
1. Fish & Omega-3 Foods
The omega-3 found in wild-caught, cold-water fish have been found to help regulate heartbeat, reduce blood pressure, decrease blood clot formation and reduce overall inflammation, all of which decrease the risk for heart attacks and strokes.
2. Vegetables
Dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, avocado, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots are a just a few of the many options when it comes to your daily intake of vegetables, which are loaded with disease-fighting and anti-inflammatory antioxidants and phytonutrients.
Eating avocados in particular has been found to be clinically associated with lower metabolic syndrome in U.S. adults because avocado benefits your gut.
3. Fruits
Similar to vegetables, there are so many options that not only taste good, but help you ward off metabolic syndrome. You can opt for apples, bananas, oranges, pears or prunes if you need some ideas that are easy to consume quickly or on the go. In moderation (so you don’t overdo it on natural sugar), daily fruit consumption is an easy and therapeutic habit to develop if you haven’t already.
Pomegranate and pomegranate seeds in particular have been shown to help ameliorate metabolic syndrome.
4. Legumes
Some delicious and tasty legumes to try include kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas and Lima beans. Rich in fiber and protein, legumes are an excellent daily choice for keeping blood sugar stable and your waistline trim. And they’re particularly useful in preventing metabolic syndrome.
5. Whole Grains
High-fiber foods, like quality whole grains including oatmeal and brown rice, not only have proven benefits for diabetes and heart health, but they also help keep your waistline in check. As such, whole grains are a part of a balanced, healthy metabolic syndrome diet treatment plan.
Supplements
1. Ginseng, Berberine & Bitter melon
Ginseng, berberine and bitter melon, which are commonly used in Chinese medicine, are potent natural remedies when it comes to metabolic syndrome. They help regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, which directly and positively affect weight management.
2. Holy Basil
The basil supplementation can be a useful and safe way to help control diabetes and complications that result from the disease like metabolic syndrome.
3. Spirulina
Spirulina contains phycocyanin, a pigment that scientists have discovered possesses anti hypertensive effects, meaning it lowers blood pressure.
4. Maca Root
Maca root increases the glutathione levels in the body, which not only improves your immune system and disease resistance, but also helps balance proper levels of cholesterol in the body. In addition, it significantly improves glucose tolerance by lowering levels of glucose in the blood, which improves heart health and conditions like diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
5. Essential Oils
Three awesome essential oils for weight loss are grapefruit, cinnamon and ginger. Grapefruit essential oil actually works with your body in activating enzymes that help your body break down brown body fat. Cinnamon oil has been shown time and time again to help regulate blood glucose levels and something in your body called GTF, glucose tolerance factor. Ginger oil reduces sugar cravings and If you’re going to lose weight, it’s key that you also reduce inflammation and support digestion and absorption of nutrients, which ginger oil helps you to do.
Exercise
1. Burst Training
Getting rid of belly fat is key when it comes to treating metabolic syndrome. Burst training helps your body become a fat-burning machine. It consists of exercising at 90 percent to 100 percent of your maximum effort for 30 to 60 seconds, slowing it down to low-impact for a recovery period of just 30 to 60 seconds, and then bumping it back up again.
If you’ve been spending hours on the treadmill without results, it’s because long-distance cardiovascular exercise can decrease testosterone and raise cortisol, the stress hormone. Increased levels of cortisol stimulate the appetite, increase fat storing, and slow down or inhibit exercise recovery. If burst training isn’t for you, then aim for at least 30 minutes per day of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking.
2. Lose Weight
Through diet and exercise, losing weight can reduce insulin resistance and blood pressure, helping to get your metabolic syndrome under control.
3. Stop Smoking
Smoking cigarettes can lead to and worsen the health consequences of metabolic syndrome as well as increase your likelihood for heart problems and stroke, among other major health concerns.
