How does Metabolic Syndrome develop?
Central mechanisms in the development of MBS are Hyperinsulinemia (HI – an excessive production of insulin in response to high blood sugar) and Insulin Resistance (IR – where cells in your liver, muscles and fat respond less and less to insulin). Your liver can temporarily store a limited amount of glucose in the form of glycogen. If the storage capacity of glycogen is used up and insufficient glucose is used by the body and there is an excessive intake of carbohydrates, an increased production of (saturated) fatty acids occurs in the liver. As this occurs more often, it can lead to increased triglyceride levels in the blood, accumulation of abdominal fat and low-grade inflammation. Some time before the values mentioned become disrupted and the diagnosis of MBS is made, people can already experience complaints such as fatigue and drowsiness after meals, a lack of concentration, a need for sweets between meals and a shaky or irritated feeling if the meal is postponed. In long-term metabolic disorders, the complaints become more serious and numerous symptoms can arise related to the hormonal balance, the joints, eyes, heart and blood vessels and the nervous system.
Why is it so common now?
There are various factors that have contributed to the increasing prevalence of MBS, such as changes in our food supply (people consume a lot of processed food full of added sugars, salt, bad fats and E-numbers from the supermarket) and the sharply increased amount of toxins in our food and living environment (such as EDCs – Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals). More and more research shows that these EDCs interfere with our metabolism and our hormonal balance and thus contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation and the development of MBS.
Furthermore, our lives have become less and less physical since the industrial revolution and the emergence of numerous technological developments. As a result, many people have adopted a sedentary lifestyle and only 44% of adults over the age of 18 meet the exercise standards (for adults these are: at least 2.5 hours of moderately intensive exercise per week). And then there is the question of whether the exercise standards are sufficient.
Finally, we mention chronic stress, something that occurs more and more often in our modern life and can contribute to the development of MBS. Due to long-term increase in the hormone cortisol, blood glucose increases in order to be able to flee or fight, as is normally the case with acute stress. However, if the surplus of fuel glucose is not used, it can be stored in the form of abdominal fat. The hormone cortisol is also called the fat storage hormone and it is most active in your abdomen. After a stress reaction, your feeling of hunger also increases with a need for energy-rich food to replenish your energy. Often with the wrong carbohydrate-rich food such as ‘comfort food’. However, this again increases your insulin level and fat storage in the abdomen. Precisely the fat that is responsible for inflammation, insulin resistance and therefore MBS. In recent years it has become clear that inflammation plays a role in many pathologies. MBS is also an inflammatory disease, partly due to the inflammatory activity of abdominal fat. With chronic stress, sensitivity to cortisol can decrease. As a result, cortisol has less effect as a regulating factor in inhibiting inflammation.
Our Approach
First, the condition must be diagnosed. Your doctor may have already performed tests on you and otherwise we can request the necessary laboratory tests for you.
- During our intake consultation, an extensive anamnesis takes place and we perform a physical examination with measurements of, among other things, your weight, waist-hip circumference, heart rate, blood pressure, and when you are in our practice, possibly also your fasting blood glucose.
We can then request a blood test of your blood glucose, hba1c, blood fats and other relevant values, as well as other laboratory tests.
- Based on all the information collected, we put together a tailor-made treatment plan for you and guide you throughout the entire journey, step by step, on the way to metabolic flexibility. The plan is different for everyone and depends on your personal situation and needs.
Through our Remote Monitoring program, we can provide you with the best tailor-made care.