| Reversing
Insulin Resistance to Reduce Type 2 Diabetes
A recent article in the New York Times reveals
that 800,000 New Yorkers—more than one adult in every eight—have
diabetes. New York health authorities admit that “diabetes
is a bona fide epidemic” and, in fact, the only major disease
in the city that is growing, both in the number of new cases and
the number of people it kills, even as other maladies like heart
disease and cancers are stable or in decline.
Unfortunately, the crisis in New York City is
mirrored by an unchecked epidemic of diabetes that is currently
sweeping the United States. The situation has become so dire that
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now predicting
that one third of all children born in the US will become diabetic
in their lifetime. For Latinos the forecast is even bleaker: one
child in every two.
China has experienced a similar epidemic of diabetes
that is blamed on the widespread adoption of a Western-style diet
that is high in sugar, refined starches and processed foods. To
address the problem Chinese medical researchers have developed a
new herbal supplement that is designed to support recovery from
insulin resistance, the primary cause of obesity and obesity-related
disorders such as diabetes.
By restoring healthy blood sugar regulation and
normalizing insulin production the formula, MetaPhase, has been
shown to aid in reversing chronic metabolic and chemical disturbances
caused by long-term exposure to elevated insulin and blood glucose
levels. Additionally, by curbing carbohydrate cravings MetaPhase
has been shown to support safe and natural weight loss.
Diabetes occurs when blood sugar (glucose) accumulates
in the bloodstream instead of being burned (metabolized) in cells
for energy production. The result is that while cells literally
starve for fuel, dangerously high levels of blood sugar course throughout
the body causing widespread damage to tissues and organs. The resulting
damage to the nervous system and circulation can lead to the amputation
of toes, feet and legs; even a tiny cut on the foot can lead to
gangrene because it is not seen or felt.
Diabetes primarily occurs in two versions. In
Type 1, the immune system has destroyed the cells in the pancreas
that produce insulin. Type 2 occurs when the body's cells are not
sufficiently receptive to insulin, or the pancreas makes too little
of it, or both. Most Type 2 diabetics are typically over 40, overweight,
and have the disease for seven to ten years before receiving a diagnosis.
What is especially disturbing about the rapid rise of Type 2 diabetes,
which accounts for an estimated 90 to 95 percent of all cases, is
that it is largely a preventable disease.
Metabolic syndrome, also referred to as insulin resistance syndrome
or pre-diabetes, is the number one cause of Type 2 diabetes. According
to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), metabolic
syndrome has reached epidemic proportions, currently affecting one
third of all men and women in the United States, or some 80 million
adults. And in addition to being the leading cause of Type 2 diabetes,
metabolic syndrome also contributes to increased incidence of heart
attacks, stroke, cataracts and cancer.
First identified by Prof. Vladimir Dilman in the
1960s as The Metabolic Pattern of Aging and further elucidated by
antiaging pioneer Dr. Ward Dean in his groundbreaking Neuroendocrine
Theory of Aging, wide-spread acceptance of the concept by the medical
community didn’t occur until 1988. In that year Stanford University
endocrinologist Dr. Gerald Reaven defined Syndrome X (later renamed
Metabolic Syndrome) as a spectrum of related risk factors. Recently
updated guidelines established by the National Cholesterol Education
Program/ Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) in April 2005
call for a positive diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome when three of
the following risk factors are present:
- Obesity (particularly excess abdominal fat)
- Insulin resistance (glucose intolerance)
- Elevated LDL cholesterol and blood triglycerides
- Low HDL cholesterol
- Elevated blood pressure (120/80) or higher
- Inflammation (elevated C-reactive protein)
- Thrombosis (high fibrinogen)
Metabolic syndrome doesn’t occur suddenly, but develops slowly
over an extended period of time—20 to 30 years in many cases.
And while people may notice the obvious early symptoms, such as
obesity, exhaustion, depression and increased carbohydrate cravings,
most don’t realize they have metabolic syndrome until they
are diagnosed with more serious medical conditions, such as hypertension,
peripheral vascular disease or diabetes.
While the symptoms of metabolic syndrome are varied
and often appear at different times, they all arise from the disruption
of normal glucose metabolism.
Human energy is derived from a simple sugar molecule called glucose.
After a meal the body rapidly converts sugars and carbohydrates
into glucose. As glucose levels rise in the blood stream the pancreas
responds by secreting insulin, a specialized hormone that allows
cells to absorb glucose and metabolize (burn) it to produce cellular
energy.
When food intake exceeds the body’s energy
requirements, the excess glucose is converted into glycogen, another
type of sugar that is stored in the liver and muscle cells as a
convenient short-term energy reserve. As energy demands rise and
fall during the day the body converts glycogen back into glucose
to stabilize blood sugar levels and maintain energy production.
When food intake exceeds the body’s capacity to store glycogen,
the excess is directed into long-term energy reserves in the form
of fat.
Insulin resistance occurs when cells become less sensitive to the
effects of insulin. This results in rising blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
and a drop in energy production. To compensate for insulin resistance—and
to keep blood glucose levels from spiraling out of control—the
pancreas tries to restore balance by producing more insulin. Left
unchecked, cells become even more resistant to insulin even as the
pancreas secretes ever greater amounts in a desperate attempt to
bring the system back under control. This results in dangerously
high blood levels of insulin (hyperinsulinemia). If not corrected
the pancreas eventually becomes exhausted, resulting in diabetes
and requiring daily blood monitoring and injections of insulin to
manage blood sugar levels.
Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome are closely linked to
obesity, and both conditions are aggravated by a lack of exercise
and a diet high in refined carbohydrates. Not surprisingly, many
health experts believe that eating fewer carbs and increasing physical
exercise will reverse metabolic syndrome and restore healthy glucose
metabolism. This assumption is based on a simple equation: calories
equal energy, and any energy not burned as fuel will be saved as
fat. And therein lies a problem.
When applied to the unaltered chemistry of an
otherwise healthy body, improved diet and exercise can aid in restoring
healthy metabolic balance. But when the body is already in a state
of chronic metabolic imbalance caused by long-term insulin resistance,
such simple fixes often generate surprisingly different results.
How many times has someone said, “It’s
my metabolism” when commenting on their weight, or talked
about “starving” themselves while still putting on extra
pounds? With insulin resistance even a small number of calories
can result in obesity caused by an impaired ability to burn fuel
and enhanced tendency to create and store new fat deposits.
Insulin resistance often triggers a sharp craving for carbohydrates,
especially late in the evening. As cellular metabolism drops, energy
levels plummet. This has a profound effect on the brain, which gobbles
up 25 percent of the body’s available glucose reserves to
support cognitive functions. When the brain is deprived of fuel
mental performance is impaired, leading to fatigue, depression and
more frequent headaches.
To improve mood and generate a quick lift many
people reach for a bagel, a doughnut or some other refined carbohydrate
to quickly elevate their blood sugar levels. Unfortunately this
solution is only temporary and insulin quickly clears sugar from
the blood stream. As sugar is converted into fat, energy levels
plummet once again, triggering another round of intense carb cravings
that can be impossible to resist.
As insulin resistance becomes more entrenched
additional metabolic abnormalities begin to appear. Rising triglyceride
levels act on muscle cells, further increasing their resistance
to insulin and reducing their ability to burn fat. Triglycerides
also affect adipose (fat) cells, making it increasingly difficult
to release stored fat for energy production. Together the net effect
acts like a one-way valve—fat is stored at an accelerated
rate, but getting it out of storage becomes more difficult.
Another side effect of elevated insulin levels is the suppression
of growth hormone. Human growth hormone is normally released by
the pineal gland during the sleep cycle to aid in burning fat and
rebuilding lean body tissues (muscles). Insulin exerts a direct
and specific inhibitory effect on the release of growth hormone
that disrupts the nightly regenerative cycle of tissue repair. In
this way, elevated levels of insulin in the evening contribute to
accelerated premature aging and reduced cellular metabolism, leading
to further increases in body fat and loss of lean body mass. This
explains why it is especially important for anyone trying to lose
body fat to avoid late dinners and bedtime snacks.
As the public was made aware of the link between carbohydrates and
obesity, a number of new diets took over the weight-loss industry.
Diets developed by Dr. Atkins, Barry Sears and others promote a
sharp reduction in carbohydrate intake to 1) reduce insulin production
and 2) increase the body’s ability to burn fat. Initially,
many people found that they could forgo carbs for short periods
of time and enjoy rapid reductions in body fat while improving blood
lipid profiles. Unfortunately, low-carb diets failed to correct
the entrenched metabolic problems caused by long-term insulin resistance.
As a result many people discovered that low-carb diets are extremely
difficult to maintain in the long-term.
Much of the difficulty in maintaining a low-carb diet involves the
body’s master gland—the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus
is a key component of the limbic system, responsible for regulating
hunger, thirst, body temperature and sleep cycles. Just as the pancreas
keeps an eye on blood glucose and increases insulin production to
bring sugar levels down, the hypothalamus monitors insulin and attempts
to restore balance when levels are too high.
Since the best way to bring insulin down is to
increase glucose, the hypothalamus responds to chronically elevated
insulin levels by sending out signals—hunger pangs—to
force the body to eat and thereby increase glucose levels. Given
the number of abnormal signals coursing through the body, most people
eventually surrender to the inexorable weight of the hypothalamus
demanding food to offset the elevated insulin levels—and the
quickest way to accomplish this is to ingest more carbohydrates.
Just as metabolic syndrome works against caloric- and carb-restricting
diets, the presence of metabolic abnormalities also undermines the
expected benefits of many weight-loss supplements. While it is easy
to demonstrate that certain substances can enhance metabolism and
speed up fat-burning in animal and laboratory settings, when unleashed
upon a metabolic system already out of balance and on the verge
of collapse, many products fail to deliver significant results.
Why? Think of your car. If the tank is empty and the engine barely
able to turn over, pouring fuel additives into the gas tank will
not increase performance. At least not until the underlying issues
are corrected.
In addition to promoting obesity and diabetes, metabolic syndrome
also causes metabolic changes associated with a number of chronic
degenerative diseases. When insulin production is impaired, cellular
energy levels plummet and biological functions are impaired. Additionally,
excess glucose binds to proteins and cellular structures, causing
damage to blood vessels, eyes, and other organs. For example, diabetics
are five times more likely to develop cerebrovascular, peripheral
vascular and coronary artery diseases than are non-diabetics. Glucose
has also been shown to promote inflammation, a recognized risk factor
for immune-related diseases and cancer. Additionally, by elevating
blood levels of fatty acids, especially triglycerides, metabolic
syndrome contributes to atherosclerosis and related vascular diseases
(Fig. 1).
Because metabolic syndrome develops over a long period of time many
of the symptoms are diagnosed—and treated—as separate
and unrelated conditions. Without identifying and correctly addressing
the underlying condition, insulin resistance, many patients end
up saddled with a wide range of treatments that can include statin
drugs (to lower cholesterol), antidepressants (for depression and
mood swings), ACE-inhibitors and beta-blockers (for hypertension)
and anti-thrombolytic drugs (to reduce risk of developing blood
clots).
In the 1980s doctors in China were alarmed by sharp increases in
the incidence of diabetes, heart disease and breast cancer. Noting
that these conditions were linked with the adoption of Western eating
habits, Chinese doctors turned to Western drugs to treat the disorders.
Eventually medical experts noticed that, in addition to having side
effects, the drugs were failing to address the cause of the problems.
The central tenet of Chinese healing is to treat
both acute symptoms and underlying causes of an illness. Based on
this principal the Chinese researchers turned to traditional herbs
that are well studied and widely used for diabetes. After almost
ten years of clinical evaluation a team of doctors at Shanghai People’s
Hospital developed MetaPhase, a unique herbal blend that effectively
countered insulin resistance, lowered blood sugar levels and restored
healthy pancreatic function.
In clinical tests these herbal ingredients were
shown to restore health by countering the wide spectrum of disorders
that accompany diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease, degenerative
eye conditions, skin ulcerations, limb numbness and pain, and kidney
dysfunction.
Dr. Chuang is a researcher with experience in
treating diabetes with both Western drugs and Chinese herbs. He
is also a Type 2 diabetic who has successfully brought his own blood
sugar levels into normal range using MetaPhase. The following reports
by Dr. Chuang are representative of the results achieved using the
MetaPhase formulas for his Type 2 diabetics, including many using
insulin to control blood sugar levels.
Case 1: Mr. S., 54-years-old, a Type 2 diabetic
with fasting blood sugar of 335 mg/dl. Mr. S. was able to maintain
fasting blood sugar levels of around 141 only by taking 18 units
of insulin in the morning and 26 units in the evening. Dr. Chuang
recommended MetaPhase, three capsules three times daily. After ten
days, fasting blood sugar dropped to 124 and blood sugar two hours
after eating fell to 141. Mr. S. subsequently discontinued insulin
and after three months his fasting blood sugar has stabilized between
106 and 124.
Case 2: Mr. L., 56-years-old,
presented with a fasting blood sugar level of 155 mg/dl. After 7
days with MetaPhase his fasting blood sugar was 101 and energy markedly
improved. After three months he is still taking two capsules daily
and fasting blood sugar stabilized between 97 and 106.
Case 3: Mr. L., 65-years-old,
was taking insulin injections to maintain fasting blood sugar between
141 and 159 mg/dl, and blood sugar two hours after meals between
194 and 212. Mr. L. began taking MetaPhase, three capsules three
times daily. In two weeks, his fasting blood sugar dropped to 115
and two hours after eating to 159. After using the formula for three
months, his fasting blood sugar stabilized at 106 and remains stable.
Case 4: Mr. S., 35-years-old,
with fasting blood sugar of 146 mg/dl. In April of 2004 he started
taking MetaPhase, three capsules, three times a day. After 8 days
his fasting blood sugar was 106. He was able to gradually decrease
his medications and his blood sugar remains stable today.
In addition to normalizing glucose levels and restoring peripheral
insulin sensitivity, MetaPhase has been shown to aid controlling
weight. And unlike many formulas that elevate blood pressure, the
herbs in MetaPhase have a history of restoring healthy blood pressure
levels.
John, a 55-year-old executive, has experienced
creeping weight gain over the years that he suspects was related
to metabolic syndrome. After reaching a high weight of 184 pounds
versus the 135 he weighed in high school, he went on the Atkins
diet program and lost down to 160 pounds over a period of six months.
Then his weight gradually went back up to 175, mainly because of
carbohydrate snacking in the evening.
He attempted many times to restart the Atkins
program, but felt thwarted by his carb urges. He also tried to start
an exercise program, but stopped because it was leaving him exhausted.
John began taking MetaPhase, two capsules twice daily. He immediately
noticed a reduction of appetite and regained his ability to control
carb cravings, particularly at night. In the first month he lost
10 pounds, most noticeably around his lower abdomen, and experienced
increase in energy and physical strength.
Based on his clinical experience Dr. Chuang recommends taking three
capsules of MetaPhase, three times daily, 30 minutes prior to meals.
The combination of herbs in the formula will stimulate a steady
improvement that becomes most noticeable in 7 to 10 days. Once blood
sugar and insulin levels have returned to normal—usually within
1 to 3 months— Dr. Chuang recommends a daily maintenance program
consisting of one capsule in the morning and one in the afternoon
before meals to sustain optimal results.
Note: Type 2 Diabetics using
MetaPhase to control blood sugar levels may also experience improvements
in related morbidity factors, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia,
nephropathy and neuropathy. Patients with these conditions should
continue to be monitored by their physician for changes in their
condition and modify medications as necessary.
MetaPhase combines a blend of herbs that have been shown to support
recovery from metabolic disturbances common to metabolic syndrome
while repairing cellular damage caused by prolonged exposure to
elevated blood sugar levels.
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