The dietary changes that occur during the Christmas holidays, with excess sweets and refined flours, frequent alcohol intake and consumption of unhealthy fats significantly influence metabolic health. As recalled by Dr. Isabel Viña Bas (@isabelvina), doctor and Medical-Scientific Director of IVB Wellness Lab, this type of excessive intake can affect various aspects of the metabolism of macronutrients, from an increase in triglycerides up to an excessive elevation of the hormone insulin which hinders the correct use and oxidation of fats. “All of this, if not taken into account, can lead to a decrease in health in general and metabolic and cardiovascular health in particular,” he explains. But Dr. Viña also highlights that the impact of excesses deserves special attention from those who have risk factors for metabolic syndrome, such as individuals with a family history of cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, abdominal obesity or high levels of triglycerides. and cholesterol.
This nutritional lack of control manifests itself in these two ways:
1. Uncontrolled appetite. After several days of eating highly palatable food (such as food rich in low-quality fats, refined sugars and high in salt), the brain circuits involved in the control of satiety-appetite are altered, inducing us to eat more in order to obtain that quick and fleeting reward that these compounds represent in the brain circuits. We enter a vicious circle, where nutritionally poor food and increased appetite go hand in hand, making it more difficult for us to “give up that little piece of nougat.”
2. Alterations in digestion. Excesses during the Christmas holidays also negatively influence the intestinal microbiota, especially due to the alcohol ingested. The ethanol contained in all alcoholic beverages favors damage to the integrity of the intestinal barrier and the appearance of increased intestinal permeability that allows substances that should not pass into our bloodstream to do so through the damage to the intestinal barrier caused by ethanol. All of this can manifest itself as abdominal distension, pain, inflammation or changes in our intestinal habits and metabolism in the medium and short term.
After this stage of lack of control, therefore, Dr. Viña advises applying measures that function as a kind of mattress to cushion the metabolic hangover.
In addition to maintaining a good hydration and to incorporate healthy habits during these weeks, there are allies such as berberine that in its format supplement Highly bioavailable, it can help rebalance the metabolism, precisely promoting the maintenance of healthy levels of sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood.
How Berberine Can Help
Berberine is a compound that comes from plants in the Berberis family. Correct absorption of this substance can help the body combat the effects of excesses with these functions:
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Improves insulin sensitivity
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Increases the oxidation of fatty acids and decreases the synthesis of triglycerides
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Decreases cholesterol synthesis
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It has anti-inflammatory effect
Let’s look at each of them:
– Improves insulin sensitivity by increasing the number of insulin receptors in cells and favoring the translocation of GLUT 4 transporters. These 2 key functions of berberine will allow your cells to be more sensitive to insulin, making you not need as much of it hormone to carry out its function: allowing glucose to enter your cells (where it should be), and not into the blood, oxidizing and damaging tissues.
– Increases the fatty acid oxidation and decreases the triglyceride synthesis by inhibiting the enzyme ‘acetylCoA carboxylase’ at the level of hepatocytes. This allows fatty acids to be directed into the mitochondria to be Beta oxidized, preventing triglycerides and intermediate toxic metabolites such as ceramides and DAG from being synthesized.
– Decreases the cholesterol synthesis by inhibiting PSCK9, increasing hepatic uptake of LDLc independently of plasma cholesterol levels.
– Effect anti-inflammatory: by reducing the expression of the inflammatory transcription factor NFkB.
But not just any form of berberine is valid, since Dr. Viña recommends the one consumed in the form of Berbevis phytosome since, as she clarifies, the use of this berberine patent compared to others on the market allows increasing bioavailability (amount of berberine that is absorbed) since the “traditional” has less than 5% bioavailability (that means that only 5% of what is ingested is absorbed). Thus, Berbevis berberine is wrapped in a plant matrix called phytosome that allows the solubility and absorption of berberine to be increased (by 10) compared to traditional ones. This, as clarified by the expert and creator of IVB Wellness Labnot only does it absorb more, but it does not have the adverse effects (diarrhea and flatulence) that many other berberines produce.
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