Syndrome-X Do you know what it is?

[Cajunboy47]

If anyone read the book entitled syndrome X or has any information on inflammation or syndrome X, I would appreciate the input.

[Nancy LC]

Syndrome X is also known as Metabolic Syndrome or Insulin Resistance. Probably your best bet is to google one of those terms. I think Syndrome X is an old name that fell out of favor. Here's an article for you: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/briefs/diabetes_endocrine/hb041116b.htm

[Gostrydr]

http://www.naturalchoicesforyou.com/site/680805/page/219656

http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/insulin.htm

Cajun boy, I have insulin resistance/prediabetes.
I'm sure it was from my "old" days when I was a bodybuilder and I was taking in over 400 grams of carbs a day which consisted of "healthy" carbs like brown rice,yams,whole grain pasta,potatoes,legumes.

I read that a lot of former bodybuilders who are now insulin resistant. But alot of those also took injectable insulin.

Now it has caught up with me.

I read something the other day that said over 75% of the populaiton has some sort of carb intolerance..frightning and alarming

[Cajunboy47]

To Gostrydr:

It is odd you mention an herb for alzheimer's disease in another post. My mom is not diagnosed yet, but it sure seems as though what she has is alzheimer's.... Where would be a good place to get the herb you mentioned?

I read today that it is yet to be scientifically proven that we absolutely need carbohydrates in our diet. Makes you wonder.

You seem well informed on herbs, if I may ask, are you a professional or is this just an interest of yours?

[Whoa182]

for alzheimers disease Resveratrol looks promising because it activates SIRT1 in the brain tissue.

Even more effective would be to eat a low cabohydrate + low calorie diet.

Calorie Restriction May Prevent Alzheimer's Through Promotion Of Longevity Program In The Brain
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060614113128.htm

A recent study directed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests that experimental dietary regimens might calm or even reverse symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The study, which appears in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, is the first to show that restricting caloric intake, specifically carbohydrates, may prevent AD by triggering activity in the brain associated with longevity

[Whoa182]

Edit, wrong page

[Gostrydr]

Cajun boy,
I have been in the health food industry for years now. I was salesman for the largest vitamin company in the U.S, I ran a chain of health food stores and I now have my own company that I'm trying to keep afloat

[Cajunboy47]

Gostrydr,

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

I thought there was experience there. I retired 20 years ago from the largest communications company in the USA. Take a guess what company that is? :)

[Mimya]

Cajunboy47,

Sorry to interrupt the conversation here but I just read an article about people who retire young having more health issues then people who continuously work into old age. Since you retired 20 years ago, do you think there may be some substance to this?

I also am young retired but my health issues appeared before my final retirement and actually was my cause of retiring.

[Cajunboy47]

Hi Mimya,

Retired in 1987, started new career in 1990, retired again in 1994, began again in 1996, retired again in 1999, began again in 2000, retired again in 2002, began again 2003, retired again in 2004.... I stay busy when not working, so I don't know how other retired folks do it... I am about to come out of retirement again next month......

I think I have health issues due to being fat and due to chemical exposure several years ago....

[Mimya]

I see you are no way the typical retired person. Neither am I - I actually do some computer input from home. I'm hoping when I get medical clearance to come out of retirement - I'm just too young to do nothing so, I understand where you are.

Good Luck as you re-enter the work world again.

[kebaldwin]

Syndrome X and Metabolic Syndrome refer to pre type 2 diabetes.

Most doctors think that you have type 2 diabetes or you don't! In fact it often takes decades of getting worse and worse until finally your blood sugar is so messed up. But most doctors think that all of a sudden - one day you wake up with type 2 diabetes.

But there are many common symptoms that indicate that you are developing type 2 diabetes. Back when only senior citizens got type 2 diabetes - Doctors use to say "it's just getting old". Then when middle aged people got type 2 diabetes -- doctors would say "you're just getting middle aged". Now that kids are getting it -- I don't know what kind of ...

One night I ended up in the hospital with a blood pressure of 220/180. They ran test after test and found nothing - except I was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis (and was suppose to take a steroid for the rest of my life for that), acid reflux (prescription for that), sleep apnea (breathing device for that), anxiety (prescription for that), blood pressure prescription, cholesterol prescription, and arthritis prescription. I was thinking there were more prescriptions - but you get the point. I had bowel and ADD problems - but never got that diagnosed because that would have just been more prescriptions or surgeries.

Instead of looking at all these problems as seperate problems (with a prescription or surgery for each one) - I was convinced that they were all related. I started looking around and someone mentioned Atkins. I opened his book - he listed symptoms and I thought he was describing me. I then got more books on Syndrome X and Metabolic Syndrome -- and the symptoms described me almost exactly!

http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C163465.html

(see symptoms)
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/diabetes/page3_em.htm

Dr Atkins suggested low carb diet, supplements, and exercise. Most "health experts" stated that the Atkins diet would kill me. Dr Atkins suggested that people try it for two months and if their health does not improve - they not follow the diet. I figured what do I have to lose - I'm going to die soon anyways ?!?!

Needless to say all those problems were pretty much gone in months and it took about six months to wean off the blood pressure medicine. I am 45 years old. Before LC I felt 60. Now I feel like 20 years old.

Inflammation is a result of poor nutrition that destroys all parts of your body and causes most of these symptoms.

[Cajunboy47]

posted by kebaldwin:

Inflammation is a result of poor nutrition that destroys all parts of your body and causes most of these symptoms.


Thank you so much for sharing such an experience. I applaude your taking your life into your own hands. I think it takes a little something inside of us, "a bell goes off", so to speak and we know we can no longer live the way we have been living, for to do so is to choose an early death.

I know from my research, it had to be inflammation that got me to where I was at the beginning of the summer. I too, feel like a new person now. My concern now is, how much inflammation do I have now? I plan on discussing with my Doctor, a CRP test to see. I was supposed to have an appt in January, but it just got postponed till 2/8, oh well.... I just need to keep doing what I'm doing.

Please, KEBaldwin, tell me what you did besides the Atkins diet? Were there certain supplements? You didn't mention having diabetes and hopefully you corrected your inflammation problems before it came to that..... Great job telling your story, thanks!!!!!

Cajunboy47

[kebaldwin]

There is another thread for inflammation ... so I leave inflammation for that thread.

But as far as Syndrome X / Metabolic Syndrome / Pre type 2 diabetes -- you will find that current "health experts" have a mindset that

1. They test only one variable at a time. For example, they might test one antioxidant (and a very weak dose) and conclude that it does little. Whereas we know that large doses of a mixture of antioxidants does remarkable things.

2. The take one symptom and go down their table / chart of
symptom - prescription drug - surgery
If they don't have a prescription drug or surgery for a health problem -- the health problem does not exist.

Put 1 and 2 together and forget about them putting problems together to find a root cause

3. Although they synthesize(?) natural supplements to create prescription drugs - they won't consider natural supplements to solve health problems.

[kebaldwin]

www.lef.org has blood tests and they will measure your inflammation and homocystine levels (plus other things). You should wait till march-april-may when they have a huge sale on blood tests.

No I was not diagnosed with type 2 diabetes because my pancreas was not completely dead yet! Although we have red warning lights flashing all over our dashboards -- "health experts" can not properly diagnose them!

I am convinced that "chronic fatigue syndrome" is just Syndrome X / Metabolic Syndrome / pre type 2 diabetes. Been there - done that.

I use to sleep 10 hours - wake up -- have no energy - and have to spend the day on the couch. Because all the carbs caused the chronic bronchitis - which caused sleep apnea - which causes you to wake up every couple of minutes so you never get into deep sleep.

Low carbing drained all that congestion out of me - and I was sleeping so deep and good - that now I sleep half as much and get much more sleep.

The solution is simple - low carb diet, supplements (both of these give your body the nutrition it needs to repair itself) and exercise.

For supplements - a high quality multivitamin and mega fish oil. Then as many antioxidants that you can afford. If you are older - then some hormonal stuff like DHEA can help.

Large doses of magnesium are helpful. If you take too much magnesium - it is a laxative. Increasing zinc is helpful - but the upper limit on zinc is about 50 mg per day.

Note that IMHO your amount of supplementation also depends on how bad off your health is. I was 310 pounds, about 45% body fat and my health was horrible. I needed all the help I could get. Whereas someone starting at 25% body fat and decent health would probably not need near the supplements.

But there is a theory that as you burn all that fat -- it is dumping all the wastes trapped in the fat back into your blood stream which then has to be removed. Same reason people are not suppose to eat fish today (toxic wastes are trapped in the fish fat).

My main problem with inflammation today is a bad tooth.

[kebaldwin]

The funny thing is -- ask nurses and doctors what it would mean - to find "the cure" for type 2 diabetes.

Most will tell you that it would cure at least 50% - as much as 80% of all disease today.

cancer, cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure, clogged arteries, poor circulation), breathing disorders, ADD, poor vision, dementia, bone density loss, - most health problems today are because of poor nutrition.

There are actual defects in people - but I would argue that is less than 20% of all people in hospitals or seeing doctors.

Since "the cure" for type 2 diabetes would also cure Syndrome X, Metabolic Syndrome, pre type 2 diabetes - before they reached full blown type 2 diabetes - the savings in health care costs alone would be incredible.

They say that 25% of all high school kids today show signs of Syndrome X / Metabolic syndrome / pre type 2 diabetes.

If you add in lost work time - its even more incredible. Not to mention quality of life.

While doctors and researchers all claim there is no cure for type 2 diabetes - we all know differently.

[Cajunboy47]

Keith, thanks for another good post. I think you have as strong of feelings as I do about health concerns and an apparent lack of uniformity within it and a lack of treating the whole person with as natural a means as possible. I truly believe the Medical community doesn't want to work themselves out of a job. As a profession, it has compartmentalized itself continuously throughout my lifetime. It is so divided by specialties, that it is like "the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing". We trust too much in modern medicine. I think it misleads us way too much. They offer "a quick fix" and we accept it as restoration to health, but the causes still exist within us and they know we'll be coming back.

I m learning a lot lately and realize I've lived with my head in the clouds or in the sand, but unaware of how stupid I've let myself be.

We're here LC dieting because we aren't taking it anymore, we are taking matters into our own hands and having more successful results than what the medical community as a whole has offered us.

Traditional medicine has to go away. We need to learn more about our body's natural ability to heal itself anf focus on what we can do to help our bodies heal.....

Sorry, if you didn't get enough rant here, look for my other recent rant on the last thread I posted on....

Have a good day!

Cajunboy47