John just visited the doctor for his annual exam only to discover that he has high bad cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and blood sugar. All symptoms of a condition called Metabolic Syndrome also known as the Insulin Resistance Syndrome, Syndrome X and pre-diabetes. It’s estimated that 65 million North Americans suffer from this potentially deadly condition.

Metabolic Syndrome is a group of metabolic abnormalities that are risk factors for coronary heart disease and diabetes. Characteristics of this syndrome include excess abdominal fat; insulin-resistant glucose metabolism (hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose tolerance), (hypertriglyceridemia, low serum HDL-cholesterol, the good cholesterol); and high blood pressure.

A symptom - your waistline
The Canadian waistline is a hot topic lately. Recent research predicts that obesity caused by poor diet and lack of physical activity will soon surpass tobacco as the leading cause of preventable death. Abdominal obesity increases risk factors for coronary heart disease. Obesity itself is not a requirement for Metabolic Syndrome, normal-weight persons, presumably with increased abdominal fat mass, are also at risk. Keeping blood sugar and insulin in the normal range is key to eliminating Metabolic Syndrome and preventing diabetes.

The body’s fuel
Glucose (blood sugar), is our cells’ fuel. Jack Challem, author of Syndrome X calls glucose our ‘biological gasoline’ the power source for all our cells. Additional body fuels include: amino acids; glycogen – a form of glucose stored in the liver; fats; and ketones – made from the breakdown of fats. Insulin’s job, a hormone manufactured by the pancreas, is to shuttle glucose from the blood into our cells, where it’s burned for energy.

Our body requires a constant supply of glucose. Severe drops in blood glucose, low blood sugar, can cause symptoms of shaking, dizziness, fainting, mood swings and in extreme cases coma. Conversely, too much blood glucose not normalized by insulin causes Metabolic Syndrome and if left untreated eventually causes diabetes.

The standard excessively high carbohydrate, low protein diet disrupts our body’s ability to adequately regulate blood sugar. When we have too much insulin being pumped out trying to reduce abnormally high blood glucose we inevitably gain weight and our cells become resistant to insulin and fat loss. People who are overweight, have upper body fat, are shaped like an apple or who have a beer belly with excess weight around the middle, are at serious risk of Metabolic Syndrome, heart disease, cancers and diabetes.

A fibrous solution
One of the most respected experts on the role of diet in the risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity Vladmir Vuksan, Ph.D., and his colleagues, including Dr. David Jenkins (inventor of the glycemic index), developed PGX (PolyGlycopleX) after extensive research at the Risk Factor Modification Centre, University of Toronto.

The PGX discovery: by combining various soluble fibres in specific ratios – the fibre viscosity becomes amplified. This improved viscosity is effective in maintaining proper blood sugar balance and insulin regulation.

After taking PGX, the appetite-suppressing and blood-sugar stabilizing properties lasts for hours by shutting off the messages to ‘keep eating’ and aggressive cravings. Taken with a meal PGX lowers the meal’s glycemic index, reduces your total daily caloric intake, and maintains the fat burning action of a very low carbohydrate diet.

PGX lowers after-meal blood sugar levels by approximately 20 to 40%; lowers insulin secretion by about 40%; improves the body’s insulin sensitivity index 50%. No other drug, natural product or diet does this.

PGX also lowers blood cholesterol and triglycerides, both problems for people with diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome.

As a snack PGX helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and reduces insulin resistance.

Improving insulin sensitivity
Dietary changes are an absolute priority to deal with the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome and will also ensure weight loss.