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Charles 
Posts:0
Newbie
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| 09/04/2003 6:08 PM |
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| Syndrome X - Overcoming the Silent Killer That Can Give You a Heart Attack
by Gerald Reaven 2000
Dr. Gerald Reaven made his reputation in researching carb sensitivity experienced by 25-30% of the population. According to Dr. Reaven, excess insulin in the bloodstream acts like an abrasive, leading to cholesterol deposits on the arteries. He attributes as much as 50% of all heart attacks to Syndrome X.
Dr. Reaven started looking into "insulin resistance" long before gaining popular support, and seems to guard his territory zealously. In 1988 he named Syndrome X and described an elusive cluster of symptoms: slightly elevated glucose levels, compensatory hyperinsulinemia, elevated blood triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and/or high blood pressure. Since then, he added dense LDL particles, slow clearing of blood fats after meals, and poor ability to break up blood clots.
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Dr. Reaven provides a useful benchmark for elevated glucose. He says that blood glucose will go up to 140 mg/dl after a meal and drop to back down within 2 hours for a normal person. "But in an insulin-resistant person with glucose intolerance, blood sugar might go as high as 160 mg/dl after a meal, and perhaps take 30 minutes longer to return to the pre-meal level."
The self-assessment scorecard on page 68 includes the following information. If your fasting glucose level is greater than 110 mg/dl, or your glucose tolerance test (75 gm glucose) is greater than 140 mg/dl after two hours, you have Syndrome X tendencies. Likewise, if your fasting triglyceride level is greater than 200, if your HDL is lower than 35, if your blood pressure is greater than 145/90, and/or if you're more than 15 pounds overweight, then you have Syndrome X tendencies.
Page 96 has a clever formula for establishing your daily calorie requirements. If you are inactive, you multiply your weight by 14. For moderately active, multiply by 15, and for fairly active, multiply by 16. Therefore a 150-lb. person would need 2100, 2250, or 2400 calories per day according to this formula. Not an ideal formula, because it ignores lean body mass, but quick.
Reaven adheres to the "calories in, calories out" school of thought on weight gain and loss. He insists that excess insulin production does not automatically produce weight gain if one exerts will-power over "calories in." The relatively high fat intake of his diet could quell the appetite, so perhaps the carb-sensitive person can adhere to his dietary program. (However, does Dr. Reaven's rationale take into account the weight of calorie-free water?)
Dr. Reaven recommends a Protein 15%, Carbohydrate 45%, Fat 40% balance of macronutrients, with the greater proportion of fats consisting of unsaturated fats. He argues that people who normally eat more carbohydrates can shift consumption over to increased "healthy" fats. This shift of calories to fat reduces insulin production and makes for healthier arteries.
He points out that a high carb-low fat diet can actually worsen health for Syndrome X'ers and contribute to a heart attack. On the other hand, he advises against the Protein 30% recommended by the Zone diet because "protein also increases insulin secretion." He claims that it is "difficult to eat all the suggested protein without taking in a lot of saturated fat in the process," and that the excess fat will elevate LDL cholesterol. He considers his own recommendation of Protein 15% "safer."
On page 77 Dr. Reaven displays a table showing that only his Syndrome X Diet decreases both insulin and LDL cholesterol. The American Heart Association, The Zone Diet, and Atkins Diet are included.
The table makes a flat-out error in stating that the Zone diet does not decrease both insulin and LDL cholesterol. Apparently Dr. Reaven has not read the Zone books which recommend monitoring TG/HDL ratio, an indirect marker of insulin production. Nor is he aware of testimonials citing reduction of LDL cholesterol on the Zone diet.
On page 91 Dr. Reaven writes, "Unfortunately Protein Power, The Zone and other pop diet and weight loss books have hijacked and badly mangled the research we've conducted at Stanford University. Their interpretation of our research findings is more fiction than fact."
Dr. Reaven may be the reigning authority on the precise definition of insulin resistance, but he himself has difficulty presenting the facts of balanced nutrition. While his general prescription is generally healthy, his presentation contains some blatant oversights.
Apparently Dr. Reaven has never heard of the glycemic index, pioneered in the early 1980's. No such item or similar item can be found in the index of his book. His text makes no distinction whatever between different carbohydrates. Apparently the 81 calories in two teaspoons of sugar are equivalent to the 81 calories in four cups of raw broccoli. His recipes look healthy, but his text doesn't examine the way highly refined carbs differ from whole vegetables and fruit.
A book called "The Glucose Revolution," published in 1996, describes how the quality of carbohydrate affects the total increase of blood sugar after a meal. By consulting this book, the reader can estimate the glucose load of a given meal, whether it be made of low-glycemic natural food or high-glycemic pastry.
Apparently Dr. Reaven has not read "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, A Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars," published in 1997. Dr. Bernstein pioneered the use of the first portable glucometers (also in the early 1980's), thus enabling Type 1 diabetics to live full lives. He describes the trial and error process he went through in selecting vegetables as his carbohydrates of choice in maintaining predictably healthy levels of blood sugar.
Both "The Glucose Revolution," and "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, A Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars," clearly describe dietary prescriptions for eliminating Syndrome X symptoms: high-quality, low-glycemic carbohydrates.
Dr. Reaven should have mentioned that oatmeal, legumes, and fiber reduce LDL cholesterol, one of the markers of Syndrome X. He did not include warnings about artificial sweeteners or recommend the herb Stevia in their place. His dietary plan ought to point out the dangers of carbohydrate-dense convenience foods and their additives.
Besides the oversights in the text about carbohydrates, Dr. Reaven makes a curious presentation about fats. He separates out the "bad" saturated fats like butter and says they should be limited to 5% or 10% of the total diet. Then he examines hydrogenated vegetable oils and advises that some margarines with small quantities of trans-fats may be better than butter, since vegetable oil represents the major part.
Additionally, Dr. Reaven regards both safflower oil and olive oil as "good" fat, making no real distinction between them. By lumping polyunsaturated fats (vegetable oils) and monounsaturated fats (olive oil) together, he overlooks research showing the importance of balancing Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids. Dr. Reaven should have stressed the importance of limiting (not eliminating) the consumption of vegetable oil, for optimal metabolism.
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Dr. Reaven takes his turn to set the record straight and explain the "insulin resistance" affecting 25%-30% of the population on his own terms. But has he converted his research into a practical health manual, given the oversights of his text? The P15, C45, F40 diet makes sense, but the presentation on carbohydrates and fats needs some tweaking. After additional revision of the presentation, would his diet contain the same macronutrient ratios?
Dr. Reaven also has some difficulty describing his concept consistently. He refers to Syndrome X as a "complicated disorder," and "more than a disease with a single cause." Yet he reassures the reader, "...you can defeat the disease by making lifestyle changes ."
Dr. Reaven's point can be stated simply. Carb-sensitive people compromise their health and risk heart trouble when they eat the wrong foods. To avoid these problems, they should eat a properly balanced diet and stay physically active. |
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Eiconut
Posts:0
Newbie
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| 09/04/2003 10:39 PM |
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| <<On the other hand, he advises against the Protein 30% recommended by the Zone diet because "protein also increases insulin secretion." He claims that it is "difficult to eat all the suggested protein without taking in a lot of saturated fat in the process," and that the excess fat will elevate LDL cholesterol. He considers his own recommendation of Protein 15% "safer." >>
Excellent reviews, Charlie.
Does Reaven recommend an amount of protein in grams?? Or what caloric intake does he recommend? Afterall, 30% of 1500 calories (average Zone intake for males) is roughly 100g of protein. If Reaven is relying on 2,500 calories (average recommended caloric intake for males) this comes to 94g of protein. |
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Charles
Posts:0
Newbie
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| 09/05/2003 12:55 AM |
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| Tonight I received the sad news that a 51-year-old friend died of a heart attack on Sunday. Our kids were born at the same time and we were part of the same parents group when the kids were toddlers. Three years ago I saw a lot of him on the tennis courts.
He exercised and kept himself thin.
It wouldn't surprise me if he ate a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet.
On page 136 of Enter the Zone, Dr. Sears writes, "Sorry, but I have alarming news: low-fat high-carbohydrate diets are likely to promote heart disease..."
On page 149, he writes about bad eicosanoid balance promoting 3 things that can contribute to a heart attack: blood clotting, abnormal smooth muscle cell proliferation, and vasoconstriction.
On page 151-153 of Enter the Zone, original edition, he goes into more detail about a widely publicised high-carb low-fat diet and the danger signs inherent in the cholesterol profiles of the participants in the study. For whatever reason, the edition of last year removed those pages.
At any rate, it's ironic that I was studying the Syndrome X book at the same time somebody I knew was dying from the symptoms Dr. Reaven describes. Either the Syndrome X diet (with 45% carbs), or the Zone diet (with 40% carbs) would probably have helped.
This is the second young contemporary of mine to go of a heart attack this year.
Charlie |
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Charles
Posts:0
Newbie
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| 09/05/2003 1:04 AM |
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| <<Does Reaven recommend an amount of protein in grams?? Or what caloric intake does he recommend? Afterall, 30% of 1500 calories (average Zone intake for males) is roughly 100g of protein. If Reaven is relying on 2,500 calories (average recommended caloric intake for males) this comes to 94g of protein.>>
The book already went back to the library, so I can't say for sure. But I think you're on track. I seem to remember the Syndrome X diet recommending a few more calories. Maybe somebody else will order the book from the library and fill in the blanks.
Charlie |
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Sue
Posts:4634
Zoner
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| 09/05/2003 1:30 AM |
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| Hi,
Sorry to hear about your friend. Someome close to me, a relative, was just found out to have congestive heart failure, and is very sick. I've been having a tough time with it. He's a few yrs older than us (57) but has always been very fit, strong and active (and was right up until this just suddenly hit him).
Sue |
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sue
lost 100 lbs 14 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil!
for more photos, scroll over this photo and click when the link appears
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ActiveForums 3.6
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 Dr. Barry Sears is a leading authority on the dietary control of hormonal response. A former research scientist at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Sears has dedicated his research efforts over the past 30 years to the study of lipids. He holds 13 U.S. Patents in the areas of intravenous drug delivery systems and hormonal regulation for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
A turning point in his research occurred in 1982. That year, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for discoveries of the role that specialized hormones, known as eicosanoids, play in the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. Since eicosanoids are only generated from dietary fat, Dr. Sears reasoned that one could apply intravenous drug delivery principles to nutrition in order to control these exceptionally powerful hormonal responses with laser-like precision. In essence, his approach treats food as if it were a drug.
This area of his research led to various patents in the area of hormonal control by essentially using food as an oral drug delivery system to modulate eicosanoids especially for cardiovascular, diabetic, and neurological patients.
The impact of Dr. Sears’ revolutionary work in the dietary control of hormonal response began with the publication of his landmark book, The Zone. Since its publication in June 1995, The Zone has sold more than 2,000,000 hardcover copies, and became a #1 best seller on the New York Times book list. In addition, The Zone has been translated into 22 languages indicating a worldwide response to Dr. Sears’ research. His second book, Mastering the Zone, published in 1997, also became a New York Times bestseller with hardcover sales in excess of 500,000 copies to date. His third book, Zone Perfect Meals in Minutes, published in 1997, quickly became one of the best-selling cookbooks of 1997 and an another New York Times bestseller. The Anti-Aging Zone was published in 1999 and provides the molecular insights into how the Zone Diet can reverse the aging process. The Omega Rx Zone, published in 2002, explores the molecular foundation of chronic disease and how high-dose fish oil can dramatically reverse it. His latest book The Anti-Inflammation Zone discusses how to combat silent inflammation in order to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and many other inflammatory conditions—and how to reverse these conditions if they are already present. To date more than 5 million hardcover copies of his Zone books have been sold in the United States.
His research has elevated food from more than simply a source of calories to being recognized as an exceptionally powerful drug. Because of his revolutionary research, Dr. Sears has been a frequent guest on many national programs such as 20/20, Today, Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, CNN, and MSNBC.
Dr. Sears continues his ongoing research as President of Zone Labs, a biotechnology company in Danvers, MA as well as the President of the non-profit Inflammation Research Foundation in Marblehead, MA. In addition to continuing research on the hormonal effects of food, Dr. Sears has expanded his research in developing innovative dietary approaches to treating cancer and neurological conditions, as well as his on-going work in treating cardiovascular diease and type 2 diabetes.
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I have been taking the Fish Oil for over 3 years now. I am 44 playing hockey and working out. The Fish oil helps with the pain that I get from playing hockey. It greatly enhances my performance on the ice and while working out. I have noticed a big difference in my energy, attentiveness and memory. If I miss a day for whatever reason, I notice a huge difference and it feels like something is missing. Anyway that is my short little story and it comes from the heart.
– Carter B.
I am a nutritionist and Ph.D. doctor of health and nutrition. For Dr. Sears to figure out balancing fat, carbs and protein, is really beyond brilliant. It is a milestone in diet history. I go over people's diet/emotional journals. Mostly all the time, we discover that the fatigue, irritability, unstable emotions were due to the imbalance in their diet. Using the Zone to balance them out, helps control weight, roller coaster emotions and gives them energy. Dr. Sears is so right when he says food is medicine. He has figured out the most powerful drug combination going, called The Zone.
Best and healthy wishes,
– Elaine W., Ph.D., N.C., M.A.
I have a very exhausting job as a flight attendant. I read the "Omega Rx Zone" about 4 years ago and started taking the fish oil. I am 47 and have been flying for 22 years. I am very active, I run and lift weights. But combining lack of regular sleep, a physically demanding job, and irregular eating patterns this job takes a toll on the body. Since taking the fish oil, I have noticed that I do not get exhausted. I get tired, but not exhausted. I stopped taking it for a couple of months and then started taking another company's fish oil. I started getting exhausted again. I came back to Zone Labs and will continue with the fish oil for the rest of my life. I believe in the product and it makes a huge difference in my life. It makes a difference with my running as well. I also bring the bars and shakes with me on the road. It is almost impossible to eat the way I should at work. I haven't found the right secret. At least I have my Zone fish oil, bars, and shakes.
– Kathryn S.
I have been in the Zone, for about 1 month now. I wanted to share with you how wonderful I think this program is. I have been a personal trainer for almost 10 years and actively compete in numerous athletic activities. The Zone program has helped me to achieve a better awareness of my nutritional needs and the results I have seen are amazing! I have lost nearly 13 lbs since I have been in the Zone. I feel more mentally alert, more focused at work, have greater intensity during my training, have made significant strength gains, and just feel better over all. With that said, I would like to thank you for helping me in my quest for "super-health"!
Thank you!
– Rob Y.
I read 'The Zone' and as exactly as I could followed the advice for diet. I noted weight loss progress. Over six months, I lost 33 pounds. One year has passed since then. I have maintained the new weight, guided always by Zone concepts. The Zone is powerful - I have found it fantastic and I am very grateful to Dr Sears.
– Lyn S.
Before I stumbled across the Zone I was weighing close to two hundred pounds and I was depressed. I used to be a gymnast as a young man. I would think, "look at me now," when I looked in a mirror. The day I found 'The Zone' book, I was intrigued and as I read it the science made sense and so, I began to follow the "treatment". I began to lose weight and I was feeling way more energetic. I am forty two years old, I am very active and my weight is down to 162 lbs, 38 pounds lost on the Zone. I cycle, walk, jog, swim and I can now perform some of the more simple gymnastic skills I did twenty years ago...I literally feel like I have turned back the clock.
Thank you!
– Jack J.
I have been on the Zone diet for 7 years. I did not go on the diet to lose weight necessarily; but fairly quickly I lost 25 pounds, going from 190 to 165; from a 36-inch waist to a 32-inch waist. I primarily did the Zone to live healthier. My health is excellent now. I just turned 62 years old. My Zone is my eating lifestyle now; I seldom stray; and I do not miss anything. It is The Good Life.
– Curtis Y.
My wife's doctor told her to read "Enter the Zone" and to do the diet, so I told her I would do it with her. After only one week on the plan we went on a strenuous hike (the first of the year), and when we stopped at our favorite coffee shop on the way home I was able to get out of the car and stand upright and walk into the place without pain or stiffness. The Zone had eliminated all the inflammation that had always forced me to stumble all humped over into the coffee shop any time we skied or hiked all day.
Thank you, Doctor Sears.
– Larry C.
I used to have a lot of knee pain when I walked or ran. I have been taking Omega Rx for almost a year now, and rarely have any pain. I believe it is the anti-inflammation action of the oil. I feel smarter as well. Thanks for developing such a superior oil!
– Joe W.
Prior to following the Zone Diet, my body fat was around 15% and my weight around 153 pounds. No matter what I did, my weight and body fat did not change much. I regularly cycled 20-30 hours per week logging well over 400 miles. That had little impact on body fat or weight. Diet also seemed to have little impact on body fat or weight. Within a couple of months of following the zone diet, my weight dropped rather quickly to 142 pounds and body fat to about 8%. I still regularly cycle up to 20 hours per week (during the summer). I have also started strength training. I eat about 16 blocks per day. I take 3.6 grams of fish oil per day, along with Vitamin E, Alpha Lipoic Acid, CoQ10, and B & C vitamins. I also take GLA, which in my opinion, has significantly reduced fatigue and improved recovery times after exercise.
– Jeremy S.
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All polyphenols have antioxidant properties than can be measured by their Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC), but not all polyphenols have anti-inflammatory properties. The polyphenols in Dr. Sears’ Zone Polyphenol Plus have been carefully chosen to have both.
Polyphenols are the phytochemicals that not only give fruits and vegetables their color, but also help regulate inflammation. In addition, polyphenols also activate the key enzyme (AMP kinase) that helps restore cellular ATP levels. Polyphenols also help regulate the activation of inducible inflammatory proteins (such as COX-2 and inflammatory cytokines).
There are more than 4,000 known polyphenols, and the richest sources are fruits and vegetables. In general, the more color a fruit or vegetable has, the richer the polyphenol content.
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Zone Labs’ Ultra Refined Omega-3 Concentrates are three times fresher and contain less than 1/10th the mercury than what is allowed by the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standard
Zone Labs adheres to the International Fish Oil Standard (IFOS), an independent third party validated laboratory quality standard that is more rigid than any other global standard for purity.
- No company in the worlds runs more tests with IFOS than Zone Labs
- Zone Labs receives a 5 out of 5 star IFOS rating for every batch it tests
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| Standard |
IFOS Standard for a 5-Star Ranking |
Council for Responsible Nutrition |
European Pharmacopeia |
Norwegian Medicinal Standards |
| Peroxide |
< 3.75 meg/kg |
5 meg/kg |
10 meg/kg |
10 meg/kg |
| Totox Levels |
< 20 meg/kg |
26 meg/kg |
NA |
NA |
| Lead |
< 10 ppb |
10 ppb |
100 ppb |
100 ppb |
| Mercury |
< 10 ppb |
10 ppb |
100 ppb |
100 ppb |
| Dioxans and Furans |
< 1 ppt |
2 ppt |
2 ppt |
2 ppt |
| PCBs |
< 45 ppb |
90 ppb |
NA |
NA |
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"IFOS – THE TOP GLOBAL PURITY STANDARD FOR OMEGA-3 FROM FISH"
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Zone Labs products show no detectable lead or mercury when tested down to 10ppb, which is 10 times below the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standard limits.
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Zone Labs products are three times fresher than the minimum allowed by the Norwegian Medicinal Standard and European Pharmacopoeia Standards (based on average peroxide values).
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Zone Labs starts with only wild, small fish from pristine Chilean waters and ends with proprietary validation and testing processes to achieve an IFOS certified 5 star rating.
8-Step Manufacturing Process - Quality Assured
Testing to specification all raw materials, bulk products, packaging material and finished products – always using stringent internal standards and in-process testing.
- Extraction of fish oil
- Winterization – remove limited amounts of saturated fats
- Absorption – remove heavy metals
- Preliminary Molecular Distillation – refining “touch up” to reduce contaminants
- Oil conversion to ethyl esters
- Ethyl ester thermal fractionation – remove additional saturated fats
- True Molecular Distillation – final refining to remove pcb’s and long-chain monoenes
- Rigid Processes – proprietary validation, inspection and encapsulation methods. Independent lab verification of IFOS requirements and certified 5 star rating
No farmed fish. No large fish. Pristine waters.
Zone Labs starts with wild sardines & anchovies fished from cold, pristine waters off of South America where there are less environmental impurities.
A recommended serving of Zone Labs Ultra-Refined Concentrates delivers 8 times more omega-3’s than a typical retail fish oil supplement.
Most fish oil supplements have 30% or less of the healthy omega-3s EPA and DHA, with the remaining 70% of the capsule containing unbeneficial, lesser refined fatty acids that contribute to their bad taste and gastric side effects.
Getting a clinically valid dose of omega-3’s is easy with Zone Labs’ Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates.
Typical Retail Dose = 300mg omega-3
Standard Zone Dose = 2400mg omega-3
A serving of canned tuna has 12 times less omega-3’s than
Zone Labs Ultra-Refined Omega-3 Concentrates
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Commonly consumed fish and shellfish in the United States
Mercury Source: Food and Drug Administration, FDA 1900-2004, “National Marine Fisheries Service Survey of Trace Elements in the Fishery Resource". Omega-3 Level Source: American Heart Association Website.
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Mercury level
in parts per million (ppm) |
Omega-3 fatty acids
(milligrams per 3-oz. serving) |
| Zone Omega-3 Products |
< 0.01 |
2400 (standard 4 capsule serving |
| Salmon (fresh, frozen) |
0.014 |
1200 |
| Flounder or sole |
0.050 |
480 |
| Pollock |
0.041 |
450 |
| Crab |
0.060 |
400 |
| Scallops |
0.050 |
290 |
| Shrimp |
ND* |
290 |
| Catfish |
0.050 |
270 |
| Clams |
ND* |
250 |
| Cod |
0.095 |
210 |
| Canned Tuna (light) |
0.120 |
200 |
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Zone Labs’ leading product. OmegaRx delivers all of the benefits of Zone Labs’ ultra-refined omega-3 concentrates.
Advantages
- Delivers clinically proven health benefits from the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA*
- Promotes a healthy heart, healthy brain, healthy immune system, healthy circulatory system, healthy joints, healthy moods, healthy triglyceride levels and a healthy pregnancy*
- Combats silent inflammation
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