Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Syndrome X describes people who have low blood levels
of the good HDL cholesterol and high blood levels of
triglycerides, which puts them at high risk for heart attacks. HDL
cholesterol is called the good cholesterol because it carries
cholesterol and triglycerides from your blood to your liver before
they can form plaques in arteries. Triglycerides are manufactured
by your liver from extra food that you take in, primarily from
refined carbohydrates which cause a high rise in blood sugar.
Excessive amounts of triglycerides cause a condition called fatty
liver that interferes with liver function.
Your liver is supposed to remove insulin from your
bloodstream after the insulin has done its job of driving sugar
from the bloodstream into cells. A fatty liver does not remove
insulin as well as it should, so large amounts of insulin
accumulate in the bloodstream. Excess insulin affects your brain
to make you hungry all the time, causes your liver to manufacture
even more fat, causes you to deposit more fat in your belly, and
constricts arteries.
People with high blood levels of triglycerides and low
levels of the good HDL cholesterol are at high risk for obesity,
diabetes and heart attacks. The tendency to develop Syndrome X
is genetic but it will not appear if you burn more calories than
you take in. If you have this syndrome, you should avoid all
refined carbohydrates: foods made with flour, white rice, milled
corn, and any type of added sugar. Eat plenty of vegetables and
WHOLE grains, and (of course) get plenty of vigorous exercise.
March 1, 2006