SYNDROME X
You may already be suffering from one of the most common-and often overlooked-diseases to strike Americans. It's not a deadly new virus. Nor cancer. It's a disease, surprisingly enough, caused by your body's inability to make the most of the food you eat. And as many as one in three people suffer from it. Doctors call this peculiar condition insulin resistance or, with a bit more mystique, Syndrome X.
If the name doesn't ring a bell, the symptoms might: Feeling tired after you eat, and at other times when you shouldn't. Gaining a pound here and a pound there - and having difficulty losing them. Seeing your blood pressure creep up year after year. And finding that your cholesterol does the same. Insulin resistance is the chief characteristic of adult-onset diabetes, which affects an estimated 15 million Americans. It also sets the stage for obesity and coronary heart disease-even if you're not diabetic. What can you do about it? The simple prescription is to eat right, take your vitamins and minerals, and exercise, because each reduces insulin resistance. But as you might imagine, there's more to the story.
Sugar and Insulin: A Double Whammy Doctors have known about insulin resistance for decades, but only in the past 10 years have they gained a clearer idea of exactly how it derails your health.
Insulin resistance is caused in large part by the over-consumption of refined carbohydrates, such as breads, pastas, and sugary foods. Eating too much saturated fat (found in beef) and omega-6 fatty acids (found in vegetable oils) and trans-fatty acids (found in margarine and foods with partially hydrogenated oils) also seems to increase the risk of insulin resistance.
Normally, after you eat a meal, your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, or blood sugar. The presence of glucose prompts the release of insulin, a hormone produced in your pancreas. Insulin helps transport glucose from the blood to cells, where's it's burned for energy or stored.
When a person eats a lot of refined carbohydrates year after year, a dangerous cascade occurs. Insulin levels remain chronically high, and cells become less responsive-and resistant-to insulin. As a consequence, relatively little glucose gets burned and levels remain high. With chronically elevated glucose levels, insulin resistance evolves into diabetes.
At an American Diabetes Association (ADA) scientific symposium on antioxidants and diabetes, held last November in Orlando, Fla., numerous researchers implicated elevated glucose as a major source of dangerous free radicals. Glucose, a highly energetic compound (and the primary source of energy in the body), spontaneously oxidizes itself and spins off large numbers of free radicals, according to Lester Packer, Ph.D., a cell and molecular biologist at the University of California.
Free radicals, molecules with an unpaired electron, react with normal molecules in the body and oxidize them, much the way heat or oxygen turns butter rancid. When glucose is steadily higher than normal-well above 120 mg/dL-it auto-oxidizes even more readily and spins off still more free radicals. Some of these free radicals, according to Alan Chait, M.D., a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, oxidize cholesterol and set the stage for coronary heart disease.
High levels of glucose cause other problems as well. At the ADA meeting, Richard Bucala, M.D., Ph.D., of the Picower Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, N.Y., explained that glucose can bind to proteins and "crosslink" them. The process, called glycosylation, is akin to tying your body's proteins, which include your genes, into knots. Like free radicals, protein glycosylation has also been linked to aging and disease.
High levels of insulin create still more free radicals, leading to what researchers describe as "oxidative stress." Ele Ferrannini, M.D., of Italy's National Research Council, Pisa, has reported that high insulin levels increases the demand for vitamin E, which quenches free radicals. That's not all. Dean Ornish, M.D., of Sausalito, Calif., recently wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association that insulin helps convert calories into triglycerides and cholesterol, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease.
Insulin Resistance and Heart Disease Until 1988, researchers studying insulin resistance focused on its role in diabetes. Then, Gerald M. Reaven, M.D., of the Stanford University Medical Center, built a strong case for insulin resistance as a cause of obesity, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.
"The fact that an insulin-resistant subject may not become diabetic does not mean that they suffer no untoward consequences," Reaven wrote in the journal Diabetes. "Indeed, an argument can be made that the more insulin sensitive (in contrast to insulin resistant) an individual, the better off he or she is, and that the attempt to compensate for insulin resistance sets in motion of series of events that play an important role in the development of both hypertension and coronary heart disease.
Reaven coined the term "Syndrome X," to describe how insulin resistance sets the stage for more serious disease. The syndrome is characterized by six traits: insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, abnormally high insulin levels, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein (the "good" cholesterol), and hypertension. "The common feature of the proposed syndrome is insulin resistance," he explained, "and all other changes are likely to be secondary to this basic abnormality.".
Alpha-Lipoic Acid Help Some of the best ideas for preventing and reversing insulin resistance come from emerging treatments for adult-onset diabetes, the condition in which insulin resistance is most severe. One approach aims at reducing glucose levels (and consequently insulin levels) and the other uses vitamins to counteract free radicals generated by glucose.
A number of micronutrients help insulin efficiently move glucose into cells for burning. If you think of your body's cells as engines, refined carbohydrates provide plenty of high-grade fuel. But you also need spark plugs to efficiently ignite the fuel. One of the most promising of these biological spark plugs is alpha-lipoic acid.
A natural cell constituent, alpha-lipoic plays a fundamental role in converting glucose to energy. Researchers have known from animal experiments that it can lower and stabilize glucose levels and, in Germany, alpha-lipoic acid is sold as a "drug" for the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy, a type of severe nerve pain.
At the ADA meeting, Stephan Jacob, M.D., of the University of Tuebingen, Germany, described his recent study of 74 diabetic given at least 600 mg of alpha-lipoic acid supplements daily. The alpha-lipoic acid stimulated insulin activity, which safely lowered and stabilized glucose levels. It also made the patients more insulin sensitive and increased their glucose tolerance, both positive changes.
Other nutrients also help improve insulin sensitivity and, conversely, reduce insulin resistance. The mineral vanadium, found in vanadyl sulfate supplements, also improves insulin's ability to transport glucose into cells. With insulin working efficiently, the body needs and produces less of it. According to Barbara F. Harland, Ph.D., of Howard University, Washington, D.C., vanadium has been researched for 40 years and is close to being recognized as an essential nutrient.
Chromium, which is recognized as an essential mineral, also helps lower glucose levels. It is a component of the "glucose tolerance factor," a molecule essential for normal insulin function and glucose metabolism. Last year, Richard A. Anderson, Ph.D., a researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, described a joint U.S./Chinese study in which diabetics received either daily supplements of chromium picolinate or dummy pills. He said that 200 mcg of chromium picolinate daily safely lowered and stabilized blood sugar levels in diabetics in just four months. People taking 1,000 mcg of chromium daily ended up with glucose and insulin levels comparable to those of normal people.
The omega-3 fatty acids, or fish oils, also improve insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance, according to a recent animal study by Margaret T. Behme, M.D., of University Hospital, London, Ontario. The omega-3 fatty acids restore a balance disrupted by excessive consumption of omega-6 fatty acids and saturated fats.
Vitamin E Prevents Damage Researchers at the ADA meeting came close to unanimously endorsing vitamin E to relieve some of the "oxidative stress" caused by excessive glucose and free radicals in diabetics. It's likely that non-diabetics with insulin resistance also suffer from oxidative stress, though to a lesser degree.
Why the emphasis on vitamin E? Many studies have reported that 400 IU or more daily can dramatically reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, the cause of death among 80 percent of diabetics-and the leading cause of death overall in the United States. In fact, it appears that the same process that causes coronary heart disease in most people is accelerated in diabetics.
What happens is this: free radicals generated by glucose oxidize the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) form of cholesterol in the blood. White blood cells scavenge the oxidized LDL, then infiltrate heart tissue and get stuck. This causes the cholesterol deposits characteristic of heart disease.
Vitamin E can neutralizes many of these free radicals and retards the development of coronary heart disease, according to research by Ishwarlal Jialal, M.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Jialal described a 14-week study in which he gave 21 healthy patients 1,200 IU of natural vitamin E daily. The vitamin significantly reduced LDL oxidation and prevented white blood cells from sticking to the heart. Jialal has seen similar reductions in oxidized LDL among diabetics. "In my own practice, I suggest to my coronary artery disease patients that they take 400 IU of vitamin E daily," he said.
Angelo Azzi, Ph.D., a professor at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Bern, Switzerland, echoed Jialal and expressed a strong preference for natural vitamin E. "Natural vitamin E is two times more effective than the synthetic compound," he said, adding that the body prefers the structure of the natural molecule. "The important thing is to take it," he said.
As antioxidants go, alpha-lipoic acid is also extremely important, according to the University of California's Packer. In 1988, researchers discovered that it was one of the most potent and versatile antioxidants. It also helps recycle vitamin E and other antioxidants, such as vitamin C and CoQ10.
In sum, you have a one-in-three statistical risk of developing insulin resistance, but your real risk increases sharply if you consume a lot of refined carbohydrates, omega-6 fatty acids (found in fried foods and vegetable oils), and saturated fats. But you're not going to wake up one morning to discover that you're suddenly insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance takes years to become severe. If you pay attention to some of the early signs higher blood pressure and elevated triglyceride and cholesterol-when you're in your 30s or 40s, you can reverse insulin resistance and stand a good chance of preventing diabetes and coronary heart disease when you're older.
“The Hidden Disease You May Already Have,” byJack Challem, The Nutrition Reporter. Originally published in Let's Live magazine. Copyright © 1997 by Jack Challem. All rights reserved.
PROTEASE PLUS
An Essential Enzyme for Protein Metabolism
In 1998, Joan Vandergriff's father was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma and given two weeks to live. That wasn't acceptable to Joan, a Senior National Manager with Nature's Sunshine Products. She put aside her natural health practice for several months and began the full-time endeavor to save her father's life. The outcome of her research was not only her father becoming cancer free, but this amazing product by NSP, Protease Plus, as well as another NSP product, Nature's Immune Stimulator.
Here's what Joan's studies brought out. Many illnesses, both acute and chronic, begin with the digestive system and a lack of enzymes. When we are born, we have plenty of enzymes, but by the time we are 70, we may only have 20% of the enzymes we were born with. The digestive system should function like a smoothly flowing river that has fresh, clean water with no debris. But like a river that gets stopped up, the digestive system can become like a "swamp," in that it becomes sluggish and prone to the growth of unfriendly microorganisms. Enzymes are used in ponds, pools and sewer systems to degrade and clear out debris and algae by balancing the pH of the water. It works the same in our bodies. No enzymes and an unbalanced pH, whether in a pond or in the body, means unhealthy conditions. Enzyme action begins when food substances first enter the mouth, continues in the stomach, than the small intestine, pancreas and liver before the digestive process moves to the large intestines. The pancreas produces protease, which is designed to break down proteins into smaller proteins and amino acids. Protease enzymes are also found in the stomach and the intestinal fluids.
When a deficiency of protease exists, proteins can remain undigested as they move through the intestinal tract. This also contributes to malabsorption of nutrients and may chronic health problems. Since studies have shown that protease also helps to counteract parasites, viruses and other organisms that can weaken the intestinal system, it stands to reason that when protease levels are abnormally low these problems will proliferate.
Drs. Gonzales and Isaacs of New York have recently published their pioneering work on pancreatic cancer and the connection that taking pancreatic enzyme supplementation, together with an intensive natural health-care program, can cure cancer. According to Dr. Gonzales, the single most important part of their program for preventing cancer is to take pancreatic enzymes.
Lack of protease enzymes can be a causal factor in a wide variety of symptoms. Among them are aching joints, allergies - both food and sinus - autoimmune disorders, back weakness, bacterial infections, candidiasis, constipation, diarrhea, fungal and yeast infestations, gum disorders, hearing problems, hepatitis/liver disorders, herpes, hormonal imbalances, parasites, sinusitis, skin eruptions, sports injuries, urinary infections, viruses, and weakened immunity. Adequate enzymes in the body are the key to living longer and better with plenty of energy.
Protease breaks down protein-based invaders in the bloodstream leaving them vulnerable for destruction by the immune system. Parasites, fungi and bacteria are all protein-based organisms. Viruses have a protein-based film covering the nucleic acids inside them. Protease breaks up these proteins so the immune system can do its job of destroying them and clearing them out of the body.
Enzymes are known to accelerate the healing process and the formation of new, healthy tissue. Hundreds of studies have been done that show pancreatic enzymes act quickly to reduce inflammation and swelling of sports injuries. Enzymes are completely safe - there are no drug reactions.
Protease Plus, in addition to 60,000 HUT protease, also contains a concentrate of full-spectrum plant-derived trace minerals to help activate the enzymes, which can double their activity in breaking down proteins.
Protease Plus may be taken safely by children, but in smaller doses. For children, mix the desired dosage of powder from the capsule with liquid. Base the decrease in the amount of powder used according to the child's age and body weight.
Protease Plus should be taken on an empty stomach to maximize its ability to break down protein invaders in the bloodstream. Take one to three daily between meals.
Recommended use as a digestive aid: one capsule with a meal three times daily. Start with small doses and work up, as this product can create a healing crisis.
To find out more click here:
http://www.herbtime.com/InformationPages/protease_plus.htm
MSM
MSM is found in all living organisms. It comprises one fourth of our body's chemistry. It is required for the utilization of many nutrients in our body. An inadequate supply of it, therefore, reduces the utilization of the nutrients that our bodies do take in.
The inadequate supply of MSM in our diet stems from the fact that MSM is quite volatile in its natural state. Soon after harvesting fruits and vegetables, this nutrient rapidly evaporates. Within three to five days of harvesting food, about half of the MSM in it has evaporated. What little MSM remains in the food by the time we purchase it from the grocery store is lost in the food preparation and cooking process. Many of the foods we eat have the MSM processed out of them; therefore it is essential that we supplement this very important nutrient.
MSM is found in high concentration in rain water, however, we can't drink rain water because of airborne pollutants. Even vegetarians, who watch their diets closely to get optimum nutrition, can be deficient in this precious nutrient.
Supplementing the diet with MSM is similar to eating the perfect food. If it were to be over-eaten, it would be processed out of the body much like over-eating any favorite fruit or vegetable.
Medical research suggests that a minimum concentration of MSM in the body may be critical to both function and structure in both animals and man. Research studies also suggest that a body system's concentration of MSM decreases in mammals as age increases. This could be due to dietary habits of eating foods which contain lower amounts of MSM or possibly because the amount of waste material and water that the kidneys can process has been lowered. MSM is a sulfur-bearing molecule available in the foods we eat (and now in a supplement form). It attaches to the cell wall and creates a flexible bond. When we don't get enough MSM the cells become rigid and lose the ability to flex back. A wrinkle is a group of cells that have become rigid and lost the ability to flex back--so they stay bent. This is commonly known as the aging process!
Sulfur has a vital relationship with protein since sulfur is found in the amino acids, methionine, cystine, and cysteine. These amino acids are known as the sulfur-bearing amino acids and are considered the building blocks of protein. Sulfur acts as a synthesizer and an activator with the B vitamins, thiamine, biotin, Vitamin C and pantothenic acid. These are needed for healthy nerves and proper brain function. Sulfur aids the liver in bile secretion and helps maintain overall body balance between acidity and alkalinity.
Sulfur plays a role in carbohydrate metabolism which is significant for hypoglycemics and diabetics. Sulfur is a component of insulin, the protein secreted by the pancreas that is essential to the metabolism of carbohydrates. The lack of nutritional sulfur in the body can result in low insulin production.
Sulfur plays an important part in tissue breathing (cell metabolism), which is the process where oxygen and other substances are used to build cells and release energy.
Because nutritional sulfur helps keep the hair, nails and skin healthy, it is often referred to as nature's “beauty mineral.”
To find out more click here:
http://www.msm-hgh.com/msm-clinical.html#why
