Syndrome X, arguably the “epidemic of the century”, is the name given to a general disorder characterized by four hallmark symptoms:
- Central obesity
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- Hyperglycemia.
Gerald Reaven, MD (Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Stanford University) was the first person to use the term and to show a link between the hypersecretion of insulin and subsequent insulin resistance and these four hallmark symptoms. Pharmacological treatments of the symptoms of Syndrome X never affect a cure, and many times will exacerbate the symptoms. Commonly medications are prescribed to help the pancreas produce even more insulin, to increase insulin receptor sensitivity or insulin is given directly in an attempt to regulate the blood glucose levels of these patients. This is a “Catch-22″ situation because while the insulin receptors on muscle cells may be resistant and require increased amounts of the hormone to effect glucose uptake, other tissues and organs retain their sensitivity to insulin and prolonged exposure to high levels of the hormone invariably will lead to complications.
The kidney is a good example. Insulin stimulates sodium retention by the kidney, thus contributing to water retention and hypertension. Dr. Reaven cites polycystic ovary syndrome (a condition characterized by hypersecretion of androgens by the ovary) as another example of insulin sensitive organs being affected. Basically the ovary, being constantly exposed to higher than normal levels of insulin, increases its testosterone production accordingly. Thus the insulin resistance of one tissue (muscle cells) with the compensatory hyperinsulinemia that ensues, will lead to many other insulin sensitive tissues being affected and so complicating the entire physiological picture of that individual.
Another example is the body’s production of cholesterol (de novo synthesis). Insulin great stimulates the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis. Simply put, “high levels of insulin is like putting gasoline on the enzyme” and the patient’s cholesterol levels increase accordingly. Of course a statin then is usually prescribed. Glucagon has the opposite effect: it inhibits this enzyme and forces the cell to produce LDL receptors so the cell can pull cholesterol from the blood stream (1983 Nobel Prize in Medicine). The result is the patient’s lipid profile improves tremendously – usually within 4 to 6 weeks.
At Ideal Protein, we believe that Syndrome X is a problem caused by food (too many carbohydrates, i.e. sugar) and the treatment is food. When we put patients of a ketogenic diet we immediately decrease insulin levels and many symptoms quickly improve. Moreover, by keeping insulin levels low, we now allow the cells to regain their sensitivity to insulin and the pancreas’ production of insulin returns to normal. This has been confirmed by hundreds of before and after fasting insulin levels in patients seen in clinics that have adopted our protocol.
We provide a clinical guide to practices that employ our protocol that explains the pathophysiology of Syndrome X (well referenced) along with training as to what tests should be ordered to monitor the patients’ progress. In addition there is ongoing support from our corporate medical staff.
There are many misconceptions about protein-based diets and “ketosis”. Ketosis is a normal metabolic function like
glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, or glycolosis and is totally safe as opposed to the pathological condition of ketoacidosis.
