[PERKDOUG]

This post is an effort to give some insight into what we call Metabolic Syndrome and how diet may be a major factor in its cause.
Metabolic Syndrome defined:
1. Insulin resistance
2. High blood pressure
3. Visceral fat (beer belly)
4. High fasting glucose
5. High LDL cholesterol
6. Low HDL cholesterol
7. High Triglycerides

Sorry, the post is long but it takes many words to express the idea. Don’t go “glassy eyed” and give up. The post involves the definition items 5, 6, 7 above.

We start with a Lipid particle called Very Low Density Lipoprotein, “VLDL” for short. This little guy, VLDL can be thought of as a little balloon that transports the dreaded Triglycerides to the fat cells for storage. Remember Triglycerides are the little molecules composed of 3 units of fat. Now the “Fat” in these little balloons does not come from the fat you eat. Oh no, the fat in these little VLDL balloons is manufactured in the liver from glucose and other sugars. That’s right, you can eat sugar and your liver converts it into a fat package called Triglyceride. It stuffs thousands of these “fat pills” into a Lipoprotein balloon called VLDL and sends it out into the blood stream where it circulates and drops off little packages of “fat pills” at the fat cells. Bottom line, sugar in the mouth converts to fat in the butt or belly or elsewhere in the body.

Now to make it complicated (slightly).

Now the size of the VLDL balloons becomes very important to the argument! So, read carefully here. If you eat in a way that causes high blood sugars and high insulin the VLDL balloons become very large and very numerous. Many large VLDL balloons equals “high triglycerides”. If you eat sugars and carbohydrates in away that does not result in high glucose and insulin (a healthy diet and healthy metabolism) the balloons formed are called IDL (Intermediate Density Lipoprotein) and are smaller and there are fewer of them. These smaller and less numerous IDL particles end up as “Large Fluffy LDL” particles. They are quite healthy!

Now we ask ourselves what causes high blood sugar and high insulin. Well the answer is a person with insulin resistance eating a high carbohydrate meal. Yes, the evil in the world, the devil that stands between me and all the carrot cake and ice cream I can eat is the devil “INSULIN RESISTANCE”. Now as in Casa Blanca we round up the usual suspects that may be spreading the evil insulin resistance among the good people of the world. I will cut to the chase, the suspect than needs to be taken to the basement and beaten with rubber hoses is none other than Mr. Fructose. Read your research on Pubmed, the prime suspect is over indulgence over long periods of time of dietary fructose. Where is this suspect hiding? Well, sugar (sucrose) is 50% fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup is 55%+ fructose, and all that “healthy” fruit contains fructose. How many witnesses with metabolic syndrome could take the witness stand to defend Mr. Fructose by testifying they eat only teeny-tiny amounts of fructose. That’s a joke, almost all of us eat to much fructose! I could go on and name a coconspirator that being any refined carbohydrate. But I have preached enough.

Now important ideas are missing, allow me to continue.

To fully grasp the horror here we must follow the LVDL particle through its life cycle. The “large” VLDL particles (stuffed with triglycerides) are made in the liver under conditions of high glucose and insulin. They travel the body leaving small triglyceride packets thus inflating the fat cells. Here is the horror of horrors. When they run out of their triglyceride cargo they become “Small Dense LDL”. That’s right VLDL morphs into LDL and not nice “Large Fluffy LDL”. No, it becomes the most dreaded lipid of all, “Small Dense LDL”. And it does not stop there! Remember in this situation, many VLDL particles are created. Too many VLDL particles morph into too many LDL particles. Thus we have “high LDL”. Hand me my Lipitor with the carrot cake!

I am almost done, but one more item of horror. The liver destroys one HDL (good cholesterol) particle to construct each VLDL particle. Thus “low HDL”.

Summary:
1.Over the years excess fructose and refined carbohydrate intake causes insulin resistance.
2. Eating a high carbohydrate meal with insulin resistance induces excess production of VLDL. (High Triglycerides).
3. One HDL particle is destroyed for each VLDL particle produced. (Low HDL).
4. VLDL ends its life as numerous “Small Dense LDL”. (High LDL).

Now, this sketch leaves out much detail. Note the argument given above does not convict carbs as a “bad thing”. The argument does imply that eating “excess” fructose for years and eating to many “fast acting carbs” at a meal may lead to Metabolic Syndrome. There is carb Use and carb Abuse. I hope it will cause you to be more interested in and read more about this very complex and important subject.

I will leave it to the reader to figure out how an appropriate diet may aid in overcoming the Metabolic Syndrome.

This knowledge has been useful for me and I wanted to pass it on to you.

Thank you for reading my post!

[Evermont]

My LDL last tested just a little high. Doc wants to prescribe a statin. I asked about lipid particle size testing. She says she asked the chief cardiologist about it and the feedback was that the test unimportant.

I'm not so sure.

[flowerbabe68]

Wheeewww,Perkdog, I will have to read your post a few times before I get it all. But-----You are hearing from someone who had followed a low fat,high fructose( lots of fruits,I thought that was what I was supposed to be doing) and kept gaining wt and feeling tired and sluggo all day long. Always felt like I could take a nap. I was dx'd type 2 DM 4 months ago. Had the spare tire and could not understand why I could not lose wt with what I was eating. I am beginning to understand what has been happenning. Now following low carb diet, lost 20# in 4 months, still more to go. Spare tire deflating slowly, my wt loss has slowed down but sticking with it. I have a difficult time understanding why my family Dr. took a blaming attitude with the wt and finally the dx of type 2 DM. From what I am able to understand, the diabetes causes the wt gain not the other way around. Am I even close to beginning to understand this process?

[flowerbabe68]

Would it follow then,that if tryglycerides have dropped,your LDL has dropped and there is hope that the HDL has raised as is not being destroyed one by one? I will have lab done in a few weeks and hoping for more improvement in lipids. I have been put on Niaspan 1500mg po daily and it has made a big change in my blood fats, along with the low carb diet.

[ShottleBop]

According to one book I'm currently reading, it is possible that your HDL will go up and your triglycerides will go down, while BOTH your total cholesterol and your LDL go up. This is because an increase in HDL can raise your total cholesterol, and LDL is almost always calculated, using a formula in which LDL = Total Cholesterol - HDL - (Triglycerides/5).

[REDLAN]

Hi PERKDOUG. Your hypothesis is incomplete - you do not address chylomicron's which transport dietary triglycerides and cholesterol. Also as I understand it HDL does not get destroyed in the manufacture of VLDL, which is synthesized de novo by the liver, rather it donates apoC which matures chylomicrons and VLDL.

These however are small points - as any hypothesis needs real data from humans, just because something is theoretically feasible doesn't mean that it occurs for real. Your fructose hypothesis is also problematic - due to lack of evidence

I looked through the first half dozen pubmed studies for evidence that your hypothesis is correct, only one supported your hypothesis the rest did not.

There is evidence that low carb diets in individuals with insulin resistance, decrease triglycerides, raise HDL, and improve glycemic control - how reliable these studies are is another matter, as I am aware that when cochrane looked at glycemic control they were unable to show any difference between low and high fat diets.

Low carb diets also raise rather than lower LDL - which is in the reverse direction suggested by your hypothesis.

low fat diets are better at decreasing total cholesterol, and lowering LDL, which again does not support your hypothesis.

pubmed link to a review included below

An update on low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets. [Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2006] - PubMed Result

[Alfredoe]

Well, it is difficult to find somebody that writes as vividly as Perkdoug. It really makes you follow what is been said. I wish I had somebody like him writing for my site.

Back to the subject. The fact is that there are only 3 macro nutrients and out of those only one increases your insulin and raises your sugar level: carbohydrates. The other 2 macro nutrients does not affect your blood sugar. It is rather easy to deduct what you have to do to avoid your poison.

If you just keep your HDL cholesterol above 80 and your triglycerides level below 100, you don’t have to worry about ALL THE OTHER FACTORS. Just take care of these 2 guys.

You do that by: exercising 30 minutes at a medium high level of exertion, eating a low carb diet ( paleo diet) and taking 3.000 mg of fish oil a day( or more if necessary)

You can read more at Fish Oil and Heart Disease Are Incompatible.

[MCS]

Metobolic Syndrome, that was me

BP - 220/120
BG - 850
lipids all out of whack

Lost 35 pounds eating as much as I possible could. D was breaking down muscle for fuel instead of using what I was giving it, and I was giving it a lot.

Taking Benazipril and Metformim

First thing I did when Dx was:

2 months of Milk Thistle 3/3times a day, felt better by the second day, cleans your liver

Nattokinase 3/day on empty stomach, prevents the VLDL from becoming unstable.

Celery Seed extract, lowers BP

Cut out all carbs for several weeks

Current:

BP - 110/70
BG - 90-140 avg
Lipids back in line where they should be.


Feeling better now