Don’t be a risk group! How to fight obesity, diabetes and vascular diseases

We can’t close ourselves off from the coronavirus, it will always be with us, just like other viruses. And more will surely be added over time. All of them are likely to be most at risk from the so-called risk groups, which, it turns out, are not so much defined by age as by health status. The most important risk factors are obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. How to deal with them?

Step 1: Lose at least a little weight

Obesity is the most important risk factor, as it significantly increases the risk of the other two problems. There are two reasons for this:

When a large amount of adipose tissue accumulates in the body, immune cells begin to migrate into it. The result is inflammation. The intensity of this inflammation is not high, but an obese person has fat everywhere and all the time, so that inflammatory processes take place over a long period of time and throughout the body. This is a condition which, firstly, complicates all attempts to lose weight and, secondly, and much worse, increases the risk of a number of serious diseases.

It is very significant in atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction (disruption of the function of the vessel wall) occurs first, resulting in the development of inflammation. Only then can atherosclerotic plaques form and cardiovascular disease develop. In addition, inflammatory processes also play an important role in the development of diabetes.

A second significant reason for the harmfulness of obesity lies in epigenetics. In the body of obese people, compared to lean people, the intensity of a biochemical reaction called gene methylation is altered, which reduces the activity of a number of important genes in our DNA, and can shut down some of them completely. It is the different patterns of gene methylation that significantly increase the risk of both cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

There’s no need to reduce weight drastically – research shows that losing as little as 5% of your weight can have significant health benefits.

Step 2: relieve inflammation

It is not only necessary to lose weight to suppress the course of inflammation, we can also significantly support it by adjusting our diet. It is important to reduce carbohydrate intake – this will also help to reduce insulin resistance, which promotes fat storage and increases the risk of obesity. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory ingredients such as fruit and vegetables, some vegetable oils (e.g. olive oil) and, above all, an increase in the intake of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids should be added to the diet. If omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids significantly outweigh omega-3 in our diet, this intensifies the inflammatory process.

Step 3: Support proper epigenetic processes

Obesity negatively affects epigenetic processes, but the reverse is also true – if we can adjust the epigenetic patterns in our bodies, it will be easier to lose weight. At the same time, changes in epigenetic patterns have also been shown to be an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

If we want to promote positive epigenetic processes and mitigate negative ones, a healthy diet, regular exercise, sufficient sleep and avoiding stress are essential. Nutrient-rich dietary supplements and herbs with epigenetic effects can also help. In the following lines you will find those that have proven positive effects in obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes at the same time.

OPC

The abbreviation OPC is used for oligomeric proanthocyanidin complex (from oligomers procyinidins complex) contained in grape seed extract. These are substances with significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Through the regulation of the enzyme endothelial NO synthase, OPCs help lower blood pressure and relieve the formation of deposits in blood vessels. It also reduces mitochondrial dysfunction in brown adipose tissue, which usually occurs as a result of obesity and subsequently fundamentally disrupts energy metabolism. It also prevents the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, thereby also increasing energy expenditure. And last but not least, it is also suitable for diabetics – it helps to reduce insulin resistance and blood sugar levels, which can be seen after just six weeks of use.

OPC forms a harmonious combination with, for example, resveratrol, quercetin or omega-3.

Curcumin

Turmeric root dye has anti-inflammatory effects, reduces the formation of sclerotic plaques in blood vessels, improves the function of insulin-producing beta-cells and prevents their destruction, reduces insulin resistance and affects the function of a number of genes responsible for energy metabolism and fat storage.

It can be combined, for example, with quercetin or omega-3.

Quercetin

A substance from the flavonoid group helps regulate LDL cholesterol levels, prevents its oxidation due to free radicals and lowers blood pressure. It also limits the proliferation of fat cells, reduces their variability and affects their apoptosis (i.e. programmed cell death).

It can also reduce the absorption of fatty acids, cholesterol and glucose from the digestive tract, so that we end up taking in slightly less energy than the food actually contains. It can also be useful for diabetics, as it effectively reduces glucose levels and insulin resistance, firstly by suppressing the function of glucose transport substances from the small intestine and secondly by promoting the production of the enzyme AMPK.

It can be combined with, for example, curcumin or EGCG.

EGCG

Epigallocatechin gallate is mainly found in green tea. It positively influences the proliferation (i.e. the rapid multiplication) of cells that give rise to adipose tissue, the rate of fat production from the energy received (lipogenesis) and the body’s willingness to use fat stores as an energy source. It also affects appetite. It has a significant anti-inflammatory effect, lowering blood cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Genistein

It is a substance derived primarily from soybeans. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and promotes weight loss. Because it is a phytoestrogen, it is particularly effective in women during and after the menopause.