Weight Maven

I can’t recall where I first read the suggestion that metabolic syndrome is essentially a liver problem, but I find the idea curiously compelling. Over at PaNu, Dr. Harris responds to a question (see Christy on Feb 6) about improving insulin resistance or reversing metabolic syndrome as follows:

The chance for healing is dependent on removing the things that damaged you in the first place.

First, understand that it is liver insulin resistance we are trying to restore. Insulin is the way the pancreas talks to liver (hat tip Peter for that)

The liver is the principal damaged organ, and the knock-on effects to other organs, including the brain, etc follows from that.

The liver may heal if you stop damaging it with things that screw it up and cause inflammation.

Like:

1) Excess PUFAs especially (but not only) excess n-6 linoleic acid. Eat zero plant based vegetable oils (not counting coconut) No more than 1g n-3s per day as well as fish oil or CLO.

2) The hepatoxin called fructose. I advocate a ZF (zero fructose) diet if you have Type II or metsyn.

3) The hepatotoxin called ethanol. Zero that out, too.

4) A fail-safe approach to leaky gut. Endotoxin that leaks into your blood stream through your gut causes inflammation. Eliminate all gluten grains like wheat and all wheat flour. Eliminate all excess PUFA (step one). Consider a casein free diet until you have healed.

Eat as low or high a fraction of carbs as you feel like, unless you feel like losing weight and then you can read “how to lose weight” - that post is free and works as well as any book you can read.

I think the whole issue is more about stopping metabolic damage and consequent inflammation than it is about “managing” your hormones.

Interestingly, Matt Metzgar has made a similar connection between inflammation and obesity:

As far as looking at the ultimate cause of obesity, I used to lean more towards insulin resistance. Now after learning more over time, I am much more convinced the core problem is inflammation.

He, however, looks at the gut rather than the liver as the chief area of concern:

I also believe that one of the main regulators of inflammation is the gut flora. Balancing the gut bacteria seems like the most logical place to start in reducing inflammation.

Which ties in nicely with Stephan’s suggestion for effective fat loss over at Whole Health Source. But that’s a post for another time!