Health, Longevity, Well-being
Here’s How to Address the Risks of Metabolic Syndrome Holistically.
Besides heart disease and type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of common cancers.
Understanding Critical Risks of Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is not a simple condition. On the contrary, it is so complex that it brings many risks to our physical and mental health. As a result, this condition significantly impacts our health, quality of life, productivity, and longevity.
I previously introduced metabolic syndrome in an article titled Fix Metabolic Syndrome, Live a Longer and Healthier Life: Metabolic inflexibility underlies major health issues.
I am glad this article created valuable awareness on this topic; hence several subscribed readers wanted me to share my research to keep them informed.
Metabolic syndrome includes a cluster of risk factors, mainly for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes.
In addition, I observed an emerging hypothesis related to risk factors for the development and progression of some cancers. As mentioned in my previous articles, thousands of people die from these diseases.
I posted an article about the risks of cancers, asking whether cancer is preventable in a post titled Is Cancer Preventable? It is a complex and challenging condition but reducing risks with lifestyle changes looks promising.
I concluded that we could significantly reduce risks via healthy lifestyle habits, even though we don’t have sufficient empirical evidence to prevent cancer.
As one of the risk factors for some types of cancers is metabolic syndrome, I’d like to provide further clarity and awareness on this widespread condition globally, affecting the health of millions of people, causing unnecessary suffering, and leading to death.
As pointed out in this CNN video using a sample case, metabolic syndrome risks can be significantly reduced and even can be reversed at any age. For example, the video showcased a man over 70 who reversed his metabolic syndrome with lifestyle changes supervised by his medical doctor in Boston, the United States.
Diagnosing metabolic syndrome by qualified physicians is relatively easier than other conditions. There are five significant indicators of the symptoms. If a patient has three of those, they are diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.
As documented by credible sources, including American Heart Association, the key indicators are:
1) The size of the waistline, 2) elevated fasting glucose, 3) high blood pressure, 4) excessive triglycerides, 5) low HDL cholesterol. HDL is the good cholesterol protecting our bodies.
While patients can easily check the waistline, the other four require tests ordered by a family doctor.
One of the most prominent risk factors for metabolic syndrome is belly fat. Thus, it is essential to monitor the waistline and address it using lifestyle changes and medical interventions by qualified health care professionals.
Interestingly, when we look at the five indicators of metabolic syndrome, each one of them, without exception, is caused by insulin resistance. As insulin resistance is such a critical factor and is widely known as the elephant in the room, I posted several articles creating awareness of this monster.
The most recent post about this vital topic is titled: Three Tips to Eliminate Insulin Resistance and Shrink Waistline: No matter how young we are, unless we address insulin resistance and become insulin sensitive, our waistlines will grow. I am glad this critical article has already received over 3,500 views as of today, and it is trending.
The condition is so widespread that over 35% of Americans have metabolic syndrome. Even worse, around 47% of adults over 60 years of age have this condition. This rate is increasing due to the obesity pandemic globally.
Metabolic syndrome is a big problem for the aging population. As we get older, our defense systems get weaker, and our telomeres get shortened; hence we get more susceptible to deadly diseases like heart attacks and cancers.
Even though insulin is a crucial hormone and innocent as is, various factors affecting insulin create dramatic adverse effects on our metabolism. I called it the paradoxical effects of insulin in my dialogues.
As I pointed out in previous articles, the central role of insulin is to remove elevated glucose from the bloodstream as quickly as possible and transfer it to muscle, other organs, and fat cells.
Our body needs glucose to function, but it sees its excessive amount in the bloodstream as toxic. This master hormone has, of course, many more functions in our metabolic system.
So, ironically, excessive sugar grows our fat cells as insulin opens the cell path to allow glucose molecules to enter our fat cells. And more ironically, when insulin is high, it is impossible to tap into these fat cells even if we workout hard.
Therefore, I pointed out that fat loss has nothing to do with calories but a lot to do with hormones referring to the intricate effects of insulin in weight management.
When our blood glucose levels increase, the pancreas creates more insulin. After a while, the body turns into insulin resistance mode, which poses a dire situation for patients. This means that even high-level insulin cannot cope with elevated sugar in the bloodstream, and patients finally experience type II diabetes. Optimal health requires insulin sensitivity, as I explained in this article.
As well-documented in the body of knowledge, type II diabetes is a complex condition creating additional risks for the patients if not treated properly and timely.
As documented in this resource, “diabetes doubles the risk of liver, pancreas, and endometrial cancer. In addition, it increases the risk of colorectal, breast, and bladder cancer by 20% to 50%.”
We have known the risk of metabolic syndrome for specific cancers for over a decade. I have reviewed many papers about the link between metabolic syndrome with cancers since the early 2010s.
It is impossible to cite them all in a short article but let me introduce two credible papers to give you an idea of the relationship between metabolic syndrome and some cancer types.
This systemic review in 2012, titled Metabolic Syndrome and Risk of Cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis, published in the journal of Diabetes Care, the official publication of the American Diabetes Association, concluded that “Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of common cancers; for some cancers, the risk differs between sexes, populations, and definitions of metabolic syndrome.” You can read the paper free at this link.
And after ten years, this paper in Oncology by Frontiers concluded:
“Metabolic syndrome and its components have been widely considered to be correlated with the initiation and progression of breast cancer, which is due to obesity and its related adipokines, insulin, and IGFs, abnormal serum lipids and lipoproteins and the molecules leading to hypertension. These molecular changes partly exert a profound influence on the tumor and its microenvironment. Metabolic syndrome is significantly associated with an increased risk, worse treatment response, invasive progression, and poor prognosis of breast cancer.”
When I mention metabolic syndrome in my circles, some people undermine its importance for our health. They say everyone has it, so what is the big deal in their vernacular. I am only a messenger based on my reviews and interactions with suffering people. But this condition is so critical that medical doctors, such as Dr. Paul Mason, define good health as the absence of metabolic syndrome.
Even though metabolic syndrome is such a common and complex situation, the good news is that it is possible to reduce risks and even reverse the condition totally with lifestyle habits such as good nutrition, improved sleep, and moderate exercise.
Frankly, what else could be better to solve a complex health issue? Some patients might need medical intervention surely; nevertheless, most of us don’t even need medication to reverse it.
By addressing insulin resistance and shrinking our waistline, we can also reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. Reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome can decrease the risk of complex diseases such as heart failure, type II diabetes, cancers, and even mental health conditions such as dementia.
Interestingly, as pointed out in an article in the National Library of Medicine, “dementia due to metabolic causes is a loss of brain function that can occur with abnormal chemical processes in the body. However, with some of these disorders, if treated early, brain dysfunction can be reversible”.
So, my point in introducing these credible resources is to show that there is hope to address metabolic syndrome with awareness, lifestyle changes, and support from our medical doctors. All we need is to accept our condition and take corrective actions.
Dr. Paul Mason introduced how he treated metabolic syndrome in an articulated video of fewer than 30 minutes. If you have this condition, investing 30 minutes to be informed by a qualified, experienced, and reputable medical doctor can be valuable.
After watching this video, the patient can take this condition more seriously and take necessary actions. Therefore, I am linking this invaluable resource as a supplement to my article.
Thank you for reading my perspectives and observations. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Reduce the Risks of Major Diseases with Healthy Lifestyle Habits
Besides health, fitness, technology, and personal development topics, I also write about my independent reviews of well-researched supplements for metabolic and cognitive health.
You may check out these links if you are interested in them:
Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and other nutrients that might help to improve metabolism and mental health.
How a Leaky Gut Might Lead to a Leaky Brain and Lower Risks in 7 Steps
Disclaimer: Please note that this post does not include health or professional advice. I only share my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives for information. If you have disease symptoms, please consult your healthcare professionals. Health is the responsibility of individuals.
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As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
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I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients.
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