Natural preparations to help with metabolic syndrome (MetS)

Povišeni krvni tlak, previše kilograma, abdominalna pretilost, loša kontrola glukoze i lipida u krvi, masna infiltracija jetre – sve su to tekovine obilja i modernog života, a kada se više tih tegoba javi u kombinaciji govorimo o metabolic syndrome. Each of the mentioned health problems individually increases the risk of developing diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, but combined they increase the risk of developing the disease several times. The priority is, therefore, to normalize the determinants of metabolic syndrome, and along with weight loss and proper nutrition, scientific studies show that shrimp wing oil can be helpful.

Shrimp wing oil

Metabolički sindrom indikacija je u kojoj ulje krila može naći primjenu zbog brojnih povoljnih učinaka. Neupitan je učinak omega-3 masnih kiselina na razinu triglicerida, a visoka razina triglicerida povezuje s inzulinskom rezistencijom, dijabetesom tipa 2, aterosklerozom i bolestima srca i krvnih žila. Osim povoljnog djelovanja omega-3 masnih kiselina, znanstvenici smatraju kako blagotvornom učinku ulja račića krila doprinosi i sadržaj astaksantina – snažnog antioksidansa koji je odgovoran za crvenu boju račića, ali i ulja.

It is known that the background of metabolic syndrome is inflammation, and any anti-inflammatory action can have a beneficial effect. Furthermore, some studies have indicated the potential effect of krill oil on body composition and abdominal obesity.Numerous scientists dealing with the endocannabinoid system believe that there is a solid basis for considering krill oil as a possible nutritional intervention aimed at reducing systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic factors in obese individuals who are at risk of developing metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

Pokazalo se kako primjena ulja krila može modulirati razinu endokanabinoida, supstanci koje koreliraju s brojnim odrednicama metaboličkog sindroma.

S druge strane, masna infiltracija jetre te nealkoholni steatohepatitis smatraju se jetrenim manifestacijama metaboličkog sindroma, a intervention with omega-3 fatty acids is now being considered as a potential therapeutic option kod tog sve učestalijeg zdravstvenog problema. Ulje krila u nekoliko je studija na animalnom modelu pokazalo povoljno djelovanje na masnu infiltraciju jetre.

Studija objavljena 2009. godine u uglednom časopisu The Journal of Nutrition otkrila kako unos omega-3 masnih kiselina u obliku ulja račića krila može značajno smanjiti razinu proupalnih supstanci koje se dovode u vezu s lošom kontrolom glukoze, poremećajem lipida u krvi i nealkoholnom bolesti jetre. Još je nekoliko studija potvrdilo da je upravo smanjenje proupalnih supstanci, odnosno endokanabinoida, jedan od razloga pozitivnog učinka ulja račića krila na tegobe metaboličkog sindroma i to osobito kod gojaznih ljudi. Jedna od njih je objavljena u časopisu Nutrition and Metabolism 2011. godine. U studiji je sudjelovalo 63 ispitanika koja su uzimala ili 2g ulja račića krila dnevno, ili riblje ulje ili maslinovo ulje. Ulje račića krila je,  za razliku od ribljeg i maslinovog ulja, smanjilo razinu endokanabinoidnih spojeva u plazmi, isključivo kod gojaznih ispitanika.

The dosage of krill oil in metabolic syndrome is individual, for preventive purposes 500-1000 mg of krill oil is recommended, and for therapeutic purposes it is usually applied in doses of 1-2 g. Even in very high doses, of 8 g per day, the use of krill has been shown to be safe in numerous studies. The only caution is required in the case of a known allergy to crustaceans and anticoagulant therapy.

Chrome

Krom je mineral koje je ljudskom tijelu potreban u tragovima, iako sam mehanizam djelovanja nije još posve razjašnjen.  Biološka uloga prvi je put predložena 1954. godine, no krom je kao esencijalni nutrijent prihvaćen tek 1977. godine kada su u pacijenata na totalnoj parenteralnoj (intravenskoj) prehrani primijećene abnormalnosti u metabolizmu glukoze koje su nestale nakon suplementacije kromom.

Osim pozitivnog djelovanja na razinu glukoze, klinička studija iz 2011. godine pokazala je kako unos kroma u obliku dodatka prehrani ima utjecaj i na lipide u krvi. Rezultati istraživanja u kojem je sudjelovalo 40 ispitanika s dijagnosticiranim dijabetesom tipa 2 pokazali su da je unos kroma u razdoblju od 3 mjeseca, u količini od 42 µg dnevno, improved blood glucose values and significantly reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol u usporedbi s placebom. Pozitivan utjecaj unosa kroma u obliku dodatka prehrani na sniženje tjelesne mase u usporedbi s placebom pokazala je i metaanaliza 11 kliničkih studija objavljena 2013. godine u časopisu Obesity Reviews.

Today, it is known that chromium stimulates the activity of insulin, a hormone with a key role in the metabolism and storage of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the body.

Smatra se da krom pospješuje vezanje  inzulina na receptore i na taj način potiče stanice da prime glukozu i iskoriste je za stvaranje energije. Samim time, krom ima ulogu u održavanju normalne razine šećera u krvi. 

Iskorištenje glukoze iz krvotoka važno je i za pravilan rad mišića. Vjeruje se da krom može sudjelovati i u metabolizmu kolesterola, što znači da ima ulogu i u održavanju normalne razine kolesterola u krvi.

Chromium deficiency causes insulin resistance (a condition in which the body's cells do not respond to the presence of insulin) and disturbances in lipid metabolism, which can be improved by taking chromium in the form of a dietary supplement, and the recommended daily intake is 40 µg. Research shows that a large number of people do not get enough chromium through their diet, since chromium is removed by numerous food processing methods.The fact that chromium from food generally has low bioavailability also contributes to the deficiency problem. therefore supplementation through dietary supplements may be beneficial.

L-carnitine

L – karnitin je tvar koja nastaje iz esencijalnih aminokiselina lizina i metionina posredstvom vitamina B6, niacina i željeza.  U procesu sudjeluje i vitamin C, štoviše jedan od najranijih simptoma nedostatka vitamina C, umor, se povezuje sa smanjenom sintezom L-karnitina.

Brojne su funkcije karnitina u ljudskom organizmu, a najpoznatija je njegova uloga nosača masnih kiselina kroz staničnu membranu u mitohondrije, gdje se one sagorijevaju i koriste kao izvor energije.

In other words, L-carnitine promotes the oxidation of fatty acids and thus helps the body in the production of energy and is necessary for the function of the heart and brain, as well as movement. Therefore, it is not surprising that the highest concentration of L-carnitine is precisely in the tissues that primarily use fatty acids as a source of energy, such as skeletal and heart muscles.If there is not enough carnitine, fats are not used to create energy, but are increasingly deposited in muscles and fatty tissues.

The use of L-carnitine can also be beneficial when it comes to the health of the heart and blood vessels. Namely, there is solid scientific evidence that supports the ability of carnitine to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood and increase the level of the so-called "good" HDL cholesterol. Additionally, it is believed that carnitine can be useful in recovering from a heart attack and reducing the symptoms of angina pectoris. In general, L-carnitine has a long history of use in cardiology, especially in parenteral form. In animal model studies, l-carnitine has been shown to be useful in the treatment of dyslipidemia, obesity, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, all determinants of the metabolic syndrome.

Combination of L-carnitine and chromium

Zanimljiva studija objavljena je nedavno u časopisu Biological Traces Element Research. Istraživanje je provedeno na eksperimentalnim životinjama te je proučavan utjecaj dodatka kroma (putem kvasca obogaćenog kromom u dozi od 300 µg/kg) i/ili L-karnitina  (100 mg/kg) na metabolizam glukoze i masti. Nakon 56 dana istraživanja u eksperimentalnih životinja koje su dobivale krom i/ili L-karnitin u obliku dodatka prehrani utvrđeno je značajno smanjenje udjela masnog tkiva u predjelu trbuha u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom. Također, uzimanje kroma i/ili L-karnitina je značajno smanjilo razine triglicerida i ukupnog kolesterola te istovremeno povećalo razinu HDL kolesterola i slobodnih masnih kiselina u serumu. Dodatno, dodaci kroma i/ili L-karnitina povezani su s većom osjetljivošću na inzulin i dobrom kontrolom razine glukoze u krvi.

Although the research was conducted on animals and further studies are needed to be able to know for sure the influence of chromium and L-carnitine on glucose and lipids, the results indicate that taking chromium and/or L-carnitine in the form of a dietary supplement can have a positive effect on fat and glucose metabolism.

Author: Prof. Dr.Sc. Darija Vranešić Bender, clinical nutritionist

Literature:

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