Wednesday, July 08, 2009

New Thinking on Metabolism

http://images.military.com/pics/fitness-cartoon-052108.jpg

Not sure what I think of all this - it's pretty simple really, the human body evolved in the absence of any refined foods and simple carbs, therefore we are not likely to process them very well. As evidenced by the obesity and diabetes rates, which have risen in proportion to the amount of refined foods in our diets, we don't handle them well.

By Mary Kearl

Diane Kress, R.D., C.D.E. and author of the new book "The Metabolism Miracle: 3 Easy Steps to Regain Control of Your Weight ... Permanently" offers unsuccessful dieters a highly appealing explanation for failed weight loss attempts. Kress believes that the weight-loss programs themselves are to blame, claiming that diets don't work for 45 percent of dieters because they have a different kind of metabolism, which she calls "Metabolism B."

According to Kress, unlike those with "Metabolism A," calorie restriction doesn't help those with type B. Instead, she posits that people with "Metabolism B" have metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of symptoms including high blood pressure, cholesterol, trigylcerides and blood sugar and fat that collects around the waist. These people, she says, can eat all the calories they want, but need to watch their carbs -- both how many they eat and when they eat them. "Metabolism A" and "B" are not actual accepted medical terms, but we were intrigued by Kress’s argument and decided to dig deeper. See what she -- and other metabolism experts -- have to say about "Metabolism B" and meet some dieters who followed her advice and have reported losing weight.

"Metabolism B" and Metabolic Syndrome -- a Connection?

While metabolic syndrome has been a known health issue for 25 years, the cause -- a hormonal imbalance that leads to excess insulin production -- was only recently discovered, Kress notes. "Insulin is a fat-gain hormone, so it stands to reason that if your body is making more insulin than it should, you're going to have more fat on your body than you should and you're going to have more fat in your blood vessels, higher cholesterol, higher triglycerides and your blood pressure's going to go up," says Kress.

Thus the two-part "Miracle Metabolism" diet -- an initial eight-week low-carb program to ease the stress on the pancreas -- the organ that makes insulin -- and step two, which introduces what she calls "low-impact carbs" -- things like whole-wheat pasta, multigrain breads and fiber-filled fruits and vegetables, which she says must be regulated throughout the day to keep your pancreas from being overloaded with insulin.

What Experts Have to Say About "Metabolism B"

Kress may be taking liberties with some of the exact science, says Stuart Weiss, M.D. and assistant clinical professor at New York University School of Medicine, but he thinks that her plan has the potential to help dieters. "We do know that people who are at risk for metabolic syndrome do respond to a low-carb diet, with improvements in their metabolic parameters." And while he notes that pancreatic rest has not produced enough solid real-world results in the laboratory, "clinically it seems like it should work."

"She's right about two things. Certain carbs are more prone to push out more insulin," leading to fat build-up, says Ray Samoa, M.D. and endocrinologist at City of Hope hospital. Another potential benefit of following this diet is that, "If you lower blood sugar by eating more complex carbs, you won't get as much toxicity from higher carbs." He cautions that while this "makes sense with somebody with diabetes or pre-diabetes, the glycemic index is something that is not well established so it needs a lot of investigation. But anything that increases fiber seems to be a benefit for someone with metabolic disorder."

* * * * *

"The Metabolism Miracle" Diet Investigated

The Carb Counting vs. Calorie Counting Debate

As long as you're regulating your carbs -- spreading your "low-impact carbs" throughout the day, you don't need to count calories, says Kress. "The calories are not the issue, [you] could [follow] an 800-calorie diet, but if carbs make up 80 percent of your calories, you're never going to lose an ounce because your body is over-processing that carb," says Kress. "Not eating carbs will cause weight gain too. If you don't hit a minimum of carbs, the liver is designed to self-feed blood sugar … [at] the equivalent of a bagel's worth of carbs. So [you'll learn to eat the] carb amount that is restful to the pancreas, which will lead to weight loss every time for a person with Metabolism B."

Reducing calorie intake may not always work, agrees Dr. Weiss. "When there is insulin resistance in diabetes, the initial dietary changes do not necessarily produce weight loss. It may however change body-fat composition -- causing clothes to feel looser."

Dr. Samoa and Keri Gans, R.D. and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, caution that recommendations call for a well-balanced diet -- one that is balanced in carbohydrates, healthy fats and lean proteins.

"The benefit of a low-carb diet is still being evaluated, [but] the thinking is that it induces a low-insulin secreting state which in turn reduces appetite," says Dr. Samoa. "Insulin in itself is an appetite stimulator. There are so many things that influence insulin -- in regards to hormones, stress levels, one's eating habits, but low-carb diets try to manipulate this to induce weight loss."

Are There Really Two Types of Metabolism?

"I can't say based on science that there are two types of metabolism," says Gans. But, she adds, "The diet for metabolic syndrome would be basically a well-balanced diet. Part of a healthy diet that works for everybody, is monitoring all our nutrients -- not just carbs ... For what I can find, what she is saying might be truly anecdotal ... She does have years of experience and she is a registered dietitian, so perhaps she has seen [this hold true] with her patients."

No comments: