Low-Carb Diet For Dummies. Katherine B. Chauncey

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

      Individual use of flour and cereal products was 174 pounds per person in 2019 up from 138 pounds in 1970, but down from the 200 pounds per person in 2000. Some experts feel this may be the result of the avoidance of grains due to certain health conditions such as gluten sensitivity or the popularity of certain diets such as the Paleo Diet. The fact is that modern grains aren’t the same as they used to be. Most of this change was in the form of refined flour food products.

      Refined flour products can quickly spike your blood sugar and overstimulate your insulin production. Whole-grain food products raise blood-sugar levels gradually without overstimulating insulin. This effect is important in controlling obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. However, the USDA indicates consumption of whole grains is below guidelines. Evidence indicates that eating whole grains can reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. Current nutrition guidelines carry a strong recommendation to include at least three to five servings of whole-grain food products per day. However, that recommendation isn’t being met in the United States.

Looking at the Nation’s Health

      With the changes that have occurred in the American food intake, the deterioration in the nation’s health should come as no surprise. But food intake is not the only thing to blame; lack of exercise is a major contributor as well (see Chapter 22 for more on exercise). The American lifestyle is killing us — check out the following sections for information on how. Chapter 4 addresses many of these diseases in greater detail as you look at your own personal history and risk factors.

      Obesity

      Obesity has been growing rapidly, but health officials were shocked by a recent study that revealed that 71 percent of the population is either overweight or obese. Obesity is linked to diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and cancer. The effects of obesity cost Americans billions of dollars per year.

      Diabetes

      Obesity is a worldwide epidemic and is being followed by a worldwide epidemic of diabetes. Thirty-four million Americans have diabetes and 88 million more have prediabetes and are at increased risk of developing the disease. Many of those with prediabetes are unaware that they have it. People who are obese have a five times greater risk of developing diabetes than people who are of a normal weight. Diabetes is a major health problem in the United States. It’s characterized by an inability to keep blood-sugar levels consistent.

      Metabolic syndrome

      Metabolic syndrome is a name coined for a modern disease characterized by obesity, glucose intolerance, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. It has also been called Syndrome X, the Deadly Quartet, insulin resistance syndrome, and prediabetes. Insulin resistance is the condition that causes this cluster of symptoms where the body doesn’t respond very well to the insulin it produces. (Insulin is a hormone that moves glucose out of the blood and into the tissues where it can be used.)

      If a person is insulin resistant, then they have to produce a greater amount of insulin in order to move the glucose into the tissue. High levels of insulin not only promote storage of fat but can cause serious harm to body organs. High levels of insulin cause high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and blood-clotting disorders. This can result in heart attacks and strokes. Eating high-carb foods — especially refined starchy and sugary foods — produces higher-than-normal amounts of insulin. The low-fat, high-carb diet universally recommended for high cholesterol is the worst diet for people who are insulin resistant.

      Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Cirrhosis of the liver is commonly associated with excess alcohol intake. However, many non-drinkers have been diagnosed with cirrhosis due to a fatty liver from excess calorie intake. This condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or as advanced disease of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is rising in prevalence due to the obesity epidemic. As the first step in treatment, healthcare providers recommend lifestyle modification (diet and exercise).

      Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

      Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an insulin-resistant disease in women that has become increasingly more prevalent. PCOS is characterized by elevated levels of male hormone, increased facial hair, irregular menstrual periods, and infertility. It’s the most common cause of female hormone dysfunction and infertility. Women with PCOS may benefit from a low-carb diet.

      Heart disease

      The importance of insulin resistance as a heart disease risk factor has been recognized. New treatment guidelines for the prevention of heart disease identify the cluster of abnormalities associated with insulin resistance as risk factors. Specifically, levels of triglycerides (a fat in the blood) have been added to the list of risk factors. High levels of triglycerides in your blood are not only related to your fat intake, but also to your intake of excess calories and carbohydrate.

      High blood pressure

      High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the nation’s leading health problems. Forty-seven percent of adults are known to have high blood pressure and an estimated 100 million are at risk of developing it. High blood pressure greatly raises the risk of stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease. Current guidelines urge Americans to make diet and exercise changes designed to lower their blood pressure. Obesity is a major cause of hypertension. Approximately 78 percent of the high blood pressure cases in men and 65 percent in women can be directly attributed to obesity.

      Compared with individuals with normal blood pressure, people with high blood pressure are relatively glucose intolerant. Insulin resistance is also a contributing factor to high blood pressure.

      Inflammatory disease

Studies suggest that abdominal fat causes fat cells to release pro-inflammatory chemicals, which can make the body less sensitive to the insulin it produces by disrupting the function of insulin-responsive cells and their ability to respond to insulin. This is known as insulin resistance — the hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Having excess abdominal fat (that is, a large waistline) is known as central or abdominal obesity, a particularly high-risk form of obesity. Metaflammation is the metabolic inflammatory state associated with obesity. The condition is defined by low-grade chronic inflammation in metabolic tissues, including adipose (fat) cells, liver, brain, and pancreas. Weight loss and calorie restriction have shown to decrease inflammation and increase insulin sensitivity in people who have been medically advised to lose excess weight.

      Arthritis and related conditions

      Arthritis is a very common degenerative joint disease. It commonly affects the weight-bearing joints in the knees, hips, and lower back. The most common risk factors are obesity and a family history of the condition. Being obese causes increase wear and tear on the joints, which decreases your ability to walk or get up and down out of a chair. There are different forms of arthritis and excess weight affects them all. Arthritis and joint conditions related to obesity are estimated to cost more than $128 billion a year in healthcare.

СКАЧАТЬ