(14-12-12) Obesity and lack of sleep boost risk for insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and diabetes

by John Phillip

(NaturalNews) There should be no doubt that the skyrocketing rates of
overweight and obesity that have become so prevalent over the past half century
are damaging the health and lives of millions around the western world. Excess
weight typically raises blood pressure leading to cardiovascular disease and
death, and causes metabolic dysfunction resulting in insulin resistance and
diabetes. Processed and refined foods developed in a factory are packed with
fast-release carbohydrates, sugars and hydrogenated fats and are the root cause
of many chronic diseases and early mortality.

The length and quality of sleep is also emerging as a critical factor
underlying the tendency toward obesity and insulin metabolism. Researchers from
the University of Chicago have published the result of a study in the Annals of
Internal Medicine that explains how not getting enough shut-eye has a harmful
impact on fat cells, reducing their ability to respond to insulin by 30
percent, a hormone that regulates energy.

Fewer than seven hours of sleep each night significantly increases insulin
resistance
In past research works, scientists have found that sleep deprivation has long
been associated with impaired brain function, causing decreased alertness and
reduced cognitive ability. In this study, researchers describe a molecular
mechanism directly connecting sleep loss to the disruption of energy regulation
in humans, a process that can lead over time to weight gain, diabetes and other
health problems.

Lead researcher, Dr. Matthew Brady noted "Many people think of fat as a
problem, but it serves a vital function... in storage mode, fat cells remove
fatty acids and lipids from the circulation where they can damage other
tissues. When fat cells cannot respond effectively to insulin, these lipids
leach out into the circulation, leading to serious complications." The team
recruited seven young volunteers, six men and one woman. Each slept soundly for
eight and one-half hours on four consecutive nights, and then 30 days later,
sleep was limited to four and one-half hours. Foods was carefully monitored and
controlled.

After testing for cellular insulin resistance, the researchers found that
after four nights of short sleep, total-body insulin response decreased by an
average of 16 percent, and insulin sensitivity decreased by 30 percent. The
authors concluded "Sleeping four to five hours a night, at least on work days,
is now a common behavior... we found that seven out of seven subjects had a
significant change in insulin sensitivity. They are not tolerating the
metabolic consequences." Short sleep schedules, especially as experienced by
many during a busy work week, is detrimental to health and is a mitigating
factor in metabolic syndrome leading to diabetes.

Sources for this article include:

http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1379773
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121015170822.htm
http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=16312&Section=Disease

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