JANUARY, 2001
SYNDROME X: A MODERN EPIDEMIC
Syndrome X is a silent disease at the root of many 20th century diseases and may affect as much as 25% of the “normal” population.

Syndrome X is described as insulin resistance with high blood insulin levels. The condition can occur when the following conditions are present: 1)a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and processed sugars, 2) a diet high in Omega 6 fatty acids (explained below) and, conversely, low in Omega 3 fatty acids, 3)inactivity or a lack of weight bearing or “resistance” exercise.

Our Genetic History
Syndrome X is a twentieth (and twenty-first) century phenomenon occurring as diets and activity levels of our modern population have changed. Human beings have been hunter gatherers for 2.3 out of the last 2.4 million years. The diet of our early ancestors consisted of carbohydrates from fruits, greens and tubers, protein from wild game, fish, nuts and naturally occurring omega-3 oils.

• Omega-3 Wild game and wild salmon eat a lot of greens (plants and algae) and thus are high in Omega-3 oils. Many of us eat salmon and other fish with the intention of increasing our omega-3 oils but seafood we buy is often raised on farms and fed grains and these are no longer high in omega-3.
• Grains. It is only in the last 10,000 years that humans have cultivated grains. If we consider the length of human history to be analagous to the height of Mount Everest, then the period of time in which we have been eating grains would have occurred in the last one hundred feet of a climb of Mt. Everest. This length of time humans have been eating grains becomes important when we consider the shared genetic history of all mankind. Our DNA has not changed from that of our ancestors, in fact, the DNA of a 40,000 year old hunter gatherer is identical to our own.

Oils and the Modern Diet
A massive change in dietary habits over the last few centuries has changed the kind of oils we consume. Our ancestors evolved on a diet of omega-6 to omega-3 oils in a ratio of about 1:1. The evolutionary diet promoted proper brain and nerve development. Contrast this to the modern American diet in which the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 oils is 20:1! Mass produced oils like corn, safflower and peanut oil are widely consumed in our food supply and are all high in Omega 6. Our farm animals are fed with grain (as opposed to greens in the wild) and yield meat also high in Omega 6 oils. ( This includes farm raised fish which are fed grains. ) Many scientists believe that a major reason for the high incidence of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, premature aging, and some forms of cancer is the profound imbalance between our intake of omega-6 and omega-3 oils.

Carbohydrates and the Modern Diet
Our modern diet is typically high in grains and refined carbohydrates. This is a departure from the carbohydrates consumed by our ancestors which were mainly vegetables and fruits gathered from the wild. The consumption of refined grains (white flour, white rice, etc) and sugars in the modern diet affects blood sugar and insulin production in a way that primitive diets did not.

Here’s what happens when grains and refined sugars are the main source of carbohydrate intake. The pancreas normally secretes insulin in response to a meal (which may include fat, carbohydrate or protein.) Food causes glucose levels in the bloodstream to rise and insulin is then released to help that glucose enter the cells of the body to be used as energy. The quantity of insulin released is determined by how rapidly glucose levels rise in the bloodstream.

A diet which is high in refined sugars and starches causes frequent rapid rises in blood glucose levels resulting in elevated insulin levels. When insulin is elevated to excessive levels over months, years or decades, the result is often “insulin resistance” or the inability of cells to properly utilize insulin in processing glucose. Cells become unable to lower glucose levels in the blood because they have lost the ability to use insulin further perpetuating high insulin levels in the blood. The ultimate result is that blood sugar levels rise. Syndrome X is insulin resistance with high blood insulin levels.

Symptoms of Syndrome X

Interruptions in insulin release or utilization can create a whole cascade of problems which include a loss of energy and the disruption of many of our normal bodily functions. These include:

• Abdominal obesity.
• Overweight. 50% of North Americans are 30% or more overweight.
• Atherosclerosis & cardiovascular disease. Both are associated with plaque formation. Elevated insulin levels increase plaque formation. An interesting fact: in the year 1900 when refined carbohydrates and sugars were not in wide use and when our diets were not as full of excessive Omega 6 oils - only 1% of the population had cardiovascular disease).
  
• Elevated triglycerides and suppressed HDL(the good) cholesterol.
  
• Type II Diabetes (insulin resistant).
  
• Adrenal Exhaustion
  
• Inflammation (arthritis, etc.)
  
• Poly Cystic Ovarian disease - 75% of women with cystic ovary disease have hyperinsulinism.
  
• Depression
  
• Osteoporosis. Bone can also become insulin resistant affecting calcium deposition.
  
• Colon cancer
  
• Breast cancer
  
  
• Hypothyroidism. High levels of insulin shut off growth hormone in pituitary affecting thyroid function. Blood tests may not always indicate a thyroid insufficiency - symptoms of low thyroid may be the only indicator. The practice of feeding meat byproducts to cows including diseased sheep parts tainted with the disease scrapie was common in the United Kingdom (England & Northern Ireland). Cows were then slaughtered and fed to other cows - practices which led to the well publicized BSE (Mad Cow) outbreaks.

Recognizing Syndrome X
Anyone can check their own body measurements to get an idea of the propensity towards Syndrome X. (One can also get laboratory tests measuring blood sugar levels.) The measurements are different for men and women and are an indication of “hyperinsulinism”:

• MEN: measure waist at the navel and the hips at their widest part. A waist measurement greater than the hips indicates hyperinsulism.
  
• WOMEN: Waist (at navel) measurements greater than 80% of hip measurement indicate hyperinsulinism.

Practical Steps for Dealing with Syndrome X
ACTIVITY: Engage in a minimum of 15-20 minutes of resistance type exercise on most days. This includes: military type calisthenics, aerobics, Ashtanga yoga, weight programs, jogging, walking or biking uphill.

DIET
Carbohydrates - eat a diet that is low in refined carbohydrates and sugars. Avoid fruit juice, dried fruit, potatoes and corn. Get your carbohydrates from vegetables, whole fruits, and a small amount of whole grains.

Change your oils - Increasing Omega 3 consumption with more fish and fish oil consumption. Flax oil accompanied by algae-derived DHA will take the place of fish oils when fish oils cannot be consumed.

Avoid most saturated fats. Use olive oil or other omega-3 rich oils.

SUPPLEMENTS