Sugar Metabolic Syndrome is the name given to a group of factors that increase one’s risk for specific related health problems such as diabetes, stroke & heart disease to name a few. The term “metabolic” refers to the biochemical processes carried out during the normal everyday functioning of the body. There are risk factors, traits, conditions and/or habits, that increase your chances of developing a disease.
Your risk for heart disease, diabetes and/or stroke increases depending on the number of risk factors you have. Here are some of those risk factors and conditions closely related to the Sugar Metabolic Syndrome:
? Overweight, obesity, lack of exercise.
? Insulin resistance increases your risk. Insulin resistance is a condition where the body does not use insulin effectively. Insulin is also a hormone responsible for transporting or ushering blood sugar into the cells where the sugar is used to produce energy.
? Insulin resistance leads to increase blood sugar levels and it’s closely linked to overweight and obesity.
? Ethnicity and family history & age also play a role in causing the Sugar Metabolic Syndrome, but these are factors that are pretty much out of our control.
Let’s look at some of the conditions linked to the Sugar Metabolic Syndrome affecting the gastrointestinal track. The gastrointestinal tract starts at the mouth, the grinding end; to the stomach, the ever churning cauldron; through to the small & large intestines, rectum & anus. The gastrointestinal tract developed from a single tube, eventually becoming a highly specialised structure with special functions. Its charged with directing the food we eat into our stomachs, digesting it, extracting the essential nutrients from the food, then passing the waste from our bodies. This entire structure is actually one organ & should be viewed as such. If one area of this structure is diseased, it’s fool-hardy to assume that the rest of the structure remains unaffected or is itself healthy.
In the mouth, there are cavities which can lead to the loss of teeth & periodontal diseases such as gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease. There is redness, swelling & bleeding of the gums. If left untreated, gingivitis can progress & develop into periodontitis a more serious form of gum disease – the main cause being the build of dental plaque, hence the reason for regular brushing, flossing & dental cleaning. There are definite links between tooth decay, gum disease and poor diets. Before the occupation of ancient Britain by the Roman Empire, dental caries were as low as 4% in that population. However, during the Roman occupation many sweet delicacies were introduced into Britain, needless to say, the incidence of dental caries then rose from about 4% to 12%.
The point to be made is that populations that do not consume highly processed foods have fewer cavities/caries, but once that diet changes to a more modern highly processed diet, these disorders increase dramatically, as we saw in the example of the Roman occupation of ancient Britain.
The first stage of disease development in the mouth is the formation of plaque, a dense collection of bacteria on the teeth. Bacteria feeds on the sugar residue from our food deposited on the teeth. The result is acid produced by the bacteria, which then begins eating away at the tooth enamel.
Certain foods are classified as carcinogenic e.g. the worse, sucrose, your regular table sugar, which is very effective at causing disease not in the least cancers. On the other side of that coin are foods classified as anti-carcinogenic e.g. whole wheat, probably because of its phytate content.
Here are some things you can actually do to prevent dental problems:
? Take regular cleanings to remove bacterial plaque build-up.
? Eat more anti-carcinogenic foods e.g. whole wheat, fresh raw fruits & vegetables.
? Eat more wholesome foods, grains, fibre/fibrous foods, which improve resistance to bacteria &
? Eliminate carcinogenic junk foods from your diet.
There is much talk about fluoride in water as a protector of teeth. However, you may or may not realise, fluoridated water might! might! might! reduce tooth decay slightly but does absolutely nothing for or about gum diseases. Reliance on fluoridated water, is basically a fool’s paradise. Just about every European country has stopped putting fluoride in their water supply.
Other causes of gum diseases include scurvy, a puffy, sore & bleeding gums condition, caused by deficiencies of vitamin C/Ascorbic acid & vitamin B3. Although the classic form of scurvy is rare, sub-clinical scurvy is quite common & affects our health, not realising it. Taking supplements of vitamin C (3000-5000mg & 2000mg of vitamin B3) in divided doses throughout the course of the day, works and improves dental health.
The Sugar Metabolic Syndrome also affects the stomach & small intestines. However, the biggest culprit in causing ulcers is the infection by Helicobactor pylori/H.Pylori. Antibiotics are often ineffective against H. pylori. Before the relationship between H. pylori & ulcers was recognised, nutritional therapy was used & had been very effective on its own for treating the H. pylori infection.
Both stomach/gastric and intestinal/peptic ulcers are related to poor diets. There is a powerful link between intestinal ulcers & the diet. Intestinal/peptic ulcers are symptoms of the Sugar Metabolic Syndrome and very prevalent in people who consume more refined foods. Another factor in the formation of stomach/gastric ulcers is a lack of protein in the stomach. Protein provides a natural buffer for the powerful digestive acids, in particular hydrochloric acid. When there isn’t enough protein in the stomach, the lining of the stomach is exposed to more acid.
Our gastrointestinal tract has been adapted to eating fresh or live food as often as necessary or as desired. Today we are consuming larger quantities of poor quality & denatured food in just minutes & we do so several times per day. It’s healthier for us to consume smaller quantities of live food, so that digestion occurs slowly and naturally. Nutrients are measured and gradually released, instead of overloading the digestive system, creating problems in the system when larger quantities of poor quality food is consumed in a few minutes. Live food already has a low bacterial count,. Our powerful digestive acids in the stomach further reduce that count by killing bacteria. Our bodies have a number of ways to keep bacterial count in check:
? Starting in the mouth with our saliva.
? The stomach’s powerful hydrochloric acid. People who lack adequate amounts of hydrochloric acid is at a disadvantage and are more prone to bacterial overgrowth & yeast infections.
? The valve at the junction between the small & large intestines, prevents the reflux of material into the upper intestines. Here, bile and pancreatic juices enter the fray and continue to reduce bacterial count in the food.
? The action of the immune system in the gastrointestinal tract further reduces bacterial contamination. Bacteria produce toxins which damage the intestinal walls causing poor absorption of nutrients & water.
Consuming a high fibre diet helps the natural normal movement of food through the gastrointestinal tract. Keep in mind, live food begins to deteriorate as soon as its picked from the tree & is almost completely destroyed by cooking. As a result, reducing bacterial contamination becomes a real problem.
The next installment on the effects the Sugar Metabolic Syndrome, will focus on the pancreas & gall bladder.
To contact Dr. Stan Horne:
1-264-582-7045
1-784-531-1150
Email: naturopathyplus@yahoo.co.uk
