Lifestyle Treatment for Metabolic Syndrome
The Metabolic Syndrome consists of having any 3 out of these 5 criteria:
- elevated blood sugar greater than 100 mg/dl),
- blood pressure >130/85),
- triglycerides >150 mg/dl),
- waist circumference over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women measured at the level of the belly button
- low LDL below 40 mg/dl for men and <50 mg/dl for women.
It affects almost 50 million adults in the U.S. or about one in four individuals. Having Metabolic Syndrome is a significant risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s and more. Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is perhaps the best single treatment. However a new study in the journal Nutrition conducted by the Functional Medicine Research Center in Gig Harbor Washington in conjunction with the Metagenics company, found that a specialized soy based medical food containing plant sterols with a hops derived anti-inflammatory nutrient along with the Mediterranean diet was better than the American Heart Association Diet in reducing 14 cardiovascular risk factors and it worked faster than diet alone.
The conventional medical treatment for the Metabolic Syndrome would be to prescribe a separate medicine for elevated blood sugar, blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol. According to the journal American Family Physician in 2004, “Soon metabolic syndrome will overtake cigarette smoking as the number one risk factor for heart disease among the U.S. population. The National
Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III has identified Metabolic Syndrome as an indication for vigorous lifestyle intervention.” So medical journals actually do not recommend prescriptions as the first line of treatment for Metabolic Syndrome.
The studies mentioned above show the power of simple, easy to adhere to dietary changes that can work even faster with a specialized medical food. We implement these lifestyle treatments for Metabolic Syndrome in our therapeutic lifestyle program. Call us today.