Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Binge Drinking May Increase Risk for Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome is defined as having 3 or more of the following conditions:
Impaired fasting glucose/diabetes mellitus, high triglyceride levels, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels.

New research published in the Online First Issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows that excessive drinking and binge drinking increases the risk for Metabolic Syndrome. “Binge drinking is defined as consuming more than 7 units in one go for women and more than 10 units in one go for men” says Urbod Nutritionist, Amanda Michie.

The problem with binge drinking is that it puts huge strain on the liver and it also raises blood sugar levels considerably which can lead towards poor blood sugar control and insulin resistance.