Sugar can be linked to increase in metabolic syndrome
JOBURG – Medical expert warns of an increase in illness that is linked to metabolic syndrome.
A leading local medical expert and author on wellness and stress management argues that sugar and refined foods can be linked to an increase of metabolic syndrome.
Dr Arien van der Merwe, who is also the owner of the Healthy Living Space, believes the nation’s obsession with sugar can be closley linked to the increasing prevalence of insulin-resistance syndrome and metabolic syndrome.
“By 2010, 150 million people around the globe were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and it is predicted that this figure will increase to 300 million by the year 2030. This effectively puts insulin resistance and diabetes way ahead of HIV/Aids in morbidity and mortality terms, yet worryingly the vast implications of this prevalent health risk are hardly recognised at all,” argues Van der Merwe.
According to the doctor, those with metabolic syndrome are twice as likely to die from, and three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke, and five times greater at risk developing Type 2 diabetes compared to people without the syndrome. Considering that only around 20 per cent of people are actually diagnosed, it is therefore of utmost importance that we promote the importance of regular health and wellness screenings.”
She added that undetected metabolic syndrome can lead to an increased risk of developing pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, depression, stroke, and in fact, most diseases related to fat accumulation in the walls of the arteries.
“Simplistically speaking, metabolic syndrome can be regarded as the body not being able to respond properly to the insulin it makes. Insulin is responsible for signalling when the individual cells must absorb glucose from the bloodstream. The body monitors what we’ve digested, blood sugar levels, and cell demands, and releases insulin in just the right amounts as the brain needs our blood sugar level to remain stable. Insulin thus plays the critical role of getting the cells the energy they need without changing that level. That’s why a healthy body is described as ‘insulin sensitive’,” doctor explained.
