Approximately 47 million Americans have metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of symptoms that includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, abnormal cholesterol levels and excess body weight (especially abdominal fat). Many have no idea they have it.
Metabolic Syndrome, Diabetes and Heart Disease: An Unhealthy Alliance
• The American Heart Association notes that having metabolic syndrome increases the risk of developing heart disease by more than 30 percent and diabetes by nearly 50 percent in both men and women.
• Metabolic syndrome appears up to 10 years before the onset of heart disease, diabetes or related conditions.
• According to the American Diabetes Association, anyone with a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 milligrams is classified as pre-diabetic, which means their blood sugar is high enough to significantly increase their risk of developing diabetes.
• 57 million people in the U.S. have pre-diabetes.
• Each year, more than 230,000 people die from diabetes related complications.
• By 2010 diabetes is expected to exceed both heart disease and cancer as the leading cause of death through its many complications.
• From 2005 to 2007, the prevalence of diabetes increased 13.5 percent and the American Diabetes Association predicts if current trends continue, one in three Americans will develop the disease in his or her lifetime.
Science Finds Prevention in Nutrition
The best way to deal with metabolic syndrome is to prevent it from ever happening. Scientists have identified several compounds that reduce blood sugar and other factors in metabolic syndrome to protect against further complications.
One of the most important of these powerhouse ingredients is Pycnogenol®. Pycnogenol is clinically proven to help reduce elevated blood glucose levels and improve related symptoms. A study, published in the May 2008 Journal of Nutrition Research, showed Pycnogenol simultaneously lowered blood glucose, LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.
Another key ingredient is Omega-3 Fish Oil, which supports cardiovascular health and maintenance of optimum blood pressure and cholesterol levels — common challenges for people with elevated blood sugar. More research is also strengthening the case for Omega-3 as an active nutrient for promoting weight loss.
Pycnogenol and Omega-3 are just two of many proven, cutting-edge compounds included in every serving of Reliv’s GlucAffect®. For more information about GlucAffect®, including a detailed product guide and a complete listing of ingredients, please visit the product section at www.reliv.com.
Metabolic Syndrome: A Risky Family of Disorders
Lack of exercise, fast food and sugary staples have landed our country in a metabolic syndrome epidemic — with nearly one in four American adults now battling this serious condition.
Metabolic syndrome is not one disease but a cluster of factors that come together to significantly increase a person’s risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and more. Based on criteria from the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, people have metabolic syndrome if they have three or more of these factors:
- • Waist circumference of 35 inches or more in women, and 40 inches or more in men (the “apple shape”)
- • Elevated triglycerides: 150 mg/dL or higher
- • Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol: less than 40 mg/dL in men; less than 50 mg/dL in women
- • High blood pressure: 130/85 mm Hg or higher
- • Elevated fasting glucose: 100 mg/dL or higher
Your Middle Matters
A study published in 2003 by researchers at the University of Kentucky shows people who are obese or overweight are 90 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Belly fat — the “apple shape” — is especially dangerous. Fat in the midsection blocks the action of insulin, which is necessary to lower blood sugar. The liver is normally triggered by insulin to take up extra blood glucose. But when the liver is swaddled in fat tissue, insulin’s message can’t get to it. Blood sugar then accumulates in the bloodstream, where it begins its widespread damage to organs throughout the body.
Take Control of Your Health
The good news is exercise and proper nutrition can help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. Exercise makes cells more sensitive to insulin so they absorb more blood sugar. It also lowers blood pressure and improves cholesterol. Good nutrition is central to promoting overall health, and research continues to show nutrition’s key role in addressing all five factors for metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome can’t be ignored. Lifestyle interventions, such as exercise, weight loss and targeted nutrition are the first line of defense to prevent its dangerous consequences from taking hold.
Clinically Proven Results Tell the GlucAffect® Story: A Letter from Dr. Carl Hastings
Reliv is proud to introduce GlucAffect®, a revolutionary, targeted nutritional supplement. The product brings together a groundbreaking combination of ingredients clinically shown to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and aid in weight loss.
After years of research, we have selected these cutting-edge ingredients using amounts proven effective in clinical studies and have formulated them to work together for maximum results. Not only has science demonstrated the efficacy of these ingredients individually, their combination within the GlucAffect® formula has produced particularly eyeopening results.
In an eight-week, placebo-controlled clinical study of 50 overweight subjects with moderately elevated fasting blood glucose — criteria for metabolic syndrome — those participants taking four daily servings of GlucAffect® as a meal replacement and participating in a diet and exercise program:
- • Lowered their fasting blood glucose by an average of 30.4 percent, which returned participants to healthy blood sugar values.
- • Lost an average of nearly 16 pounds during the eight weeks of treatment. BMIs were reduced from an average of 26.8 to 24.5, which is optimal.
No significant glucose lowering or weight loss was found in the control group.
Nutrition science is advancing quickly as researchers explore new ways to harness the power of nutrition to promote vitality. A product like GlucAffect® would literally have not been possible just a few years ago. Reliv is committed to remaining at the forefront of this trend, creating unique nutrient blends that support optimal health the way nature intended.
To Your Health,
Dr. Carl W. Hastings, Reliv Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer
Sources are available on PDF version.