Syndrome X or "metabolic syndrome" is a term that has been used to describe a cluster of metabolic risk factors in one person that include:

• Central obesity (excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen)
• Elevated triglyceride and/or low HDL cholesterol levels.
• Raised blood pressure (130/85 mmHg or higher)
• Insulin resistance (the body can't properly use insulin or blood sugar)

It is now estimated that about 60 million US adults meet the criteria for syndrome X. In addition, 18.2 million Americans have type 2 diabetes.

What is the "Big Deal" with Syndrome X?

Syndrome X is a serious disease because it is a sign of serious disruption of physiological processes. Think of it as a sign of the body in chaos. In fact, chaos is a good acronym for the various complications of syndrome X:

Coronary artery disease
Hypertension
Adult onset diabetes
Obesity
Stroke

Syndrome X carries with it a HUGE risk for suffering from these potentially catastrophic health conditions.

What Causes Syndrome X?

Syndrome X as well as type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity all can be viewed as different facets of the same disease having the same underlying dietary, lifestyle and genetic causes. The human body was simply not designed to handle the amount of refined sugar, salt, saturated fats, and other harmful food compounds that many people in the United States and other "Western" countries consume, especially in those who live a sedentary lifestyle. The result is that a metabolic syndrome emerges - elevated insulin levels, obesity, elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides, and high blood pressure.

A Natural Solution

It is well-established that the safest, most effective and preferred way to reduce insulin resistance in overweight and obese people is weight loss and increased physical activity. One of the most useful nutritional adjuncts in these goals is a highly viscous blend of soluble fibers.

The benefits of soluble dietary fiber in improving several of the features of syndrome X are well-known such as lowering cholesterol, improving blood sugar control, and in promoting weight loss. When taken before meals, soluble fiber sources bind to water in the stomach and small intestine to form a gelatinous, viscous mass that delays gastric emptying, slows the absorption of sugars, and lowers cholesterol levels. Research has indicated that the greater the viscosity or gel-forming nature of the fiber, the greater its effect in these areas as in producing a feeling of satiety.

The problem with dietary fiber supplements in the past has been that in order to produce a true clinical effect, very large amounts of soluble fiber had to be consumed resulting poor compliance and a lot of gastrointestinal discomfort. Fortunately, this problem has now been solved with the development of a proprietary, highly viscous blend of glucomannan from konjac root, xanthum gum, and alginate known as PGX (PolyGlycopleX).

This revolutionary blend of selected soluble fibers has been shown to work synergistically to develop a substantially higher level of viscosity, gel-forming properties, and expansion with water than with the same quantity of any other fiber alone.

The development of PGX began as the result of intense scientific research at the University of Toronto led by Vladimir Vuksan Ph.D., one of the most respected and recognized experts on the role of diet in the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Hundreds of different fiber combinations were tested in laboratory, animal and human studies before the formulation was initially established. PGX(tm) exerts the following benefits:1-3

• Reduces postprandial (after-meal) blood glucose levels
• Increases insulin sensitivity
• Reduces appetite and promotes effective weight loss
• Improves diabetes control
• Lowers blood cholesterol

PGX lowers after meal blood sugar levels by approximately 20 to 40% and also lowers insulin secretion by approximately 40% producing a whole body insulin sensitivity index improvement of nearly 60% - a phenomenal accomplishment that is unequalled by any drug or natural health product.

The Latest Clinical Research on PGX and Syndrome X

At the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association held in Orlando, Florida on June 4-8, 2004, the results of a clinical study using this proprietary fiber blend was presented by researchers from the Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto. Subjects with syndrome X took three grams of PGX or placebo three times a day before meals. After three weeks, there was a 23% reduction in after-meal glucose levels, a 40% reduction in after meal insulin release, and a 55.9% improvement in the whole body insulin sensitivity scores. In addition, body fat was reduced by 2.8% from baseline following the 3-week period with this proprietary fiber blend.3

PGX has also been evaluated for its weight loss promoting effects in a clinical trial conducted at the Canadian Center of Functional Medicine under the direction of Dr. Michael Lyon. Significant weight loss was experienced in all 14 test subjects and all participants reported a drop in appetite. Based on these recent findings, a large, longer-term clinical study has been initiated at the University of Toronto to further evaluate the effects of PGX on appetite and weight loss. In addition to curbing appetite by improving insulin sensitivity, preliminary evidence indicates that PGX™ has powerful effects on reducing regulatory compounds that stimulate appetite like ghrelin while at the same time increasing the levels of regulatory compounds that block the appetite like PYY, CCK, and adiponectin.

A Closer Look at how Insulin Resistance leads to Obesity

It is well established that obesity leads to insulin insensitivity and vice versa. When fat cells, particularly those around the abdomen, become full of fat they secrete a number of biological products (e.g., resistin, leptin, tumor necrosis factor , free fatty acids) that dampen the effect of insulin, impair glucose utilization in skeletal muscle, and promote glucose production by the liver. Also important is that as the number and size of fat cells increase it leads to a reduction in the secretion of compounds that promote insulin action including a novel protein produced by fat cells known as adiponectin. Adiponectin not only is associated with improved insulin sensitivity, it also has anti-inflammatory activity, lowers triglycerides, and blocks the development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The net effect of all of these actions by fat cells is that they severely stress blood sugar control mechanisms as well as lead to the development of the major complication of diabetes - atherosclerosis. Because of all of these newly discovered hormones secreted by fat cells, many experts now consider the adipose tissue a member of the endocrine system. Research is now underway to evaluate the effect of PGX on these compounds.

Insulin Resistance and the "Set Point" Theory

Research with animals and humans has found that each person has a programmed "set point" weight. The "set point" is the weight that a body tries to maintain by regulating caloric intake. It has been postulated that individual fat cells control this set point: when the fat cell becomes smaller, it sends a powerful message to the brain to eat. Since the obese individual often has both more and larger fat cells, the result is an overpowering urge to eat. The set point seems to be tied to how sensitive the fat cells are to insulin.

The existence of this set point explains why most diets don't work. While the obese individual can fight off the impulse to eat for a time, eventually the signal becomes too strong to ignore. The result is rebound overeating with individuals often exceeding their previous weight. In addition, their set point is now set at a higher level making it even more difficult to lose weight. This effect has been termed the "ratchet effect" and "yo-yo dieting."

Impacting Key Triggers of Appetite

Appetite reflects a very complex system that has evolved to help humans deal with food shortages. As a result it is extremely biased towards weight gain. To combat the tendency to eat more than is required, it is critical to utilize dietary and supplement strategies that accentuate the normal physiological processes that curb the appetite. A very elaborate system exists that is supposed to tell the brain when the body requires more food as well as when enough food has been consumed. Most of the stronger signals actually originate from the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the compounds like PYY have been shown to dramatically reduce appetite while others like the stomach-derived hormone ghrelin increase appetite.

While using various appetite regulators as therapeutic agents in human obesity is possible, preliminary studies seem to indicate that in humans compensatory actions may negate the effect. In other words, when an appetite suppressing hormone is given, there is an increase in appetite stimulating compound. Highly viscous soluble fibers like PGX will likely emerge as the "perfect drug" to impact appetite because in addition to possessing an ability to increase insulin sensitivity and will likely be shown to produce a targeted effect of reducing those factors which increase appetite while simultaneously increasing those factors that decrease appetite.

Summary

The highly viscous soluble fiber blend PGX has been shown to impact all of the major facets of the complex metabolic landscape known as Syndrome X through several different mechanisms. PGX is available from Natural Factors in its WellBetX and SlimStyles families of nutritional products. It is available in capsules, powdered drink mixes, and as part of delicious meal replacement formulas in a variety of flavors.

 

Key References:

1. Vuksan V, Jenkins DJ, Spadafora P, et al. Konjac-mannan (glucomannan)
   improves glycemia and other associated risk factors for coronary heart disease in type 2
   diabetes. A randomized controlled metabolic trial. Diabetes Care 1999;22:913-9.
2. Vuksan V, Sievenpiper JL, Owen R, et al. Beneficial effects of viscous dietary
   fiber from Konjac-mannan in subjects with the insulin resistance syndrome: results of a
   controlled metabolic trial. Diabetes Care 2000;23:9-14.
3. Vuksan V, Lyon M, Breitman P, Sievenpiper J. 3-Week Consumption of a Highly
   Viscous Dietary Fibre Blend Results in Improvements in Insulin Sensitivity and
   Reductions in Body Fat. Results of a double blind, placebo controlled trial. Presented at
   the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association. Orlando, Florida; June
   4-8, 2004.

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Michael T. Murray, N.D., is widely regarded as one of world's leading authorities on natural medicine. A prolific author, Dr. Murray has written over 20 books on health and nutrition including the best-selling Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and his latest book The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Dr. Murray is also Director of Product Development and Education for Natural Factors one of the leading manufacturers of natural products.