Thread by @Mangan150

Metabolic syndrome massively increases the risks for chronic disease.

What is it and why should you care?

Thread 👇

Someone has metabolic syndrome when they have at least 3 of the following 5 markers:

⬆️waist size
⬆️blood glucose
⬆️triglycerides
⬆️blood pressure
⬇️HDL cholesterol

Any 3 of those = metabolic syndrome

Any 1 = not 100% healthy

Metabolic syndrome is highly linked to obesity.

Metabolic syndrome is related to insulin resistance.

A classic study showed that people in the lowest third of insulin resistance had zero cases of heart disease, cancer, strokes etc.

Most were in the highest third.

Staying healthy means avoiding metabolic syndrome

Around 50% of American adults past the age of 50 have metabolic syndrome, and many younger than 50 have it too.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.11…

If metabolic syndrome progresses, type 2 diabetes is the result, and diabetics have even higher risk of heart disease and cancer, not to mention amputations and blindness.

While metabolic syndrome is linked to obesity, you're not out of the woods if you're normal weight.

"Normal weight obesity" is a normal BMI combined with high body fat and low muscle, and is associated with higher risk for metabolic syndrome

academic.oup.com/eurheartj/arti…

The exact mechanisms of metabolic syndrome are controversial, but it appears to be related to high levels of visceral fat, which is fat inside the abdominal cavity.

link.springer.com/article/10.100…

Insulin resistance with resulting metabolic syndrome increases with age, but this appears to be little related to age itself and more related to visceral obesity.

Incidence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in the U.S. and all over the world.

Fructose, a component of sugar, plays a large role.
nature.com/articles/nrgas…

Omega-6 fatty acids from seed oils likely play a role as well.

journals.lww.com/co-endocrinolo…

To avoid metabolic syndrome:

*stay lean, with high muscle mass and low visceral fat.

Best way to do this:

*avoid ultra-processed foods containing sugar, seed oils and refined grains
*get sufficient dietary protein
*do resistance training

Carbohydrate restriction can prevent and treat metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

journals.lww.com/co-endocrinolo…

Resistance training has a clinically significant effect on metabolic syndrome risk factors such as obesity, HbA1c levels and systolic blood pressure, and therefore should be recommended in the management of type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders. link.springer.com/article/10.216…

In summary, metabolic syndrome is associated with high risk of chronic disease

Metabolic syndrome is caused by a toxic food environment and, to a lesser extent, by lack of physical activity

Fortunately with the right knowledge and the will to act on it you can avoid it entirely