Among the biggest health problems we are all currently facing the whole world over are type 2 diabetes and obesity (now often conflated into the portmanteau term "diabesity"), and both have reached epidemic proportions! Together with elevated blood pressure (hypertension), elevated triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia) and low levels of HDL lipoprotein, they all point to the diagnosis of the Metabolic Syndrome.

Unfortunately, I got myself diagnosed with the Metabolic Syndrome (fulfilling all five of the IDF and NHLBI criteria - *elevated FBS, *elevated blood pressure, *abdominal obesity, *high triglyceride levels and *low HDL) despite leading an almost strictly "vegetarian" lifestyle, which I originally did with the genuine intent to keep myself "healthy" after my own father succumbed to a massive acute myocardial infarction (or what is called in layman's term as a "heart attack.") (You can watch an account of my own experience here.) 

Feeling very much frustrated, I went on a deep dive back to published scientific literature and research and began relearning basic medical science as well as unlearning much of the errors that I was unwittingly taught in medical school.

I realized that what I learned about nutrition in medical school was nothing much, and that what we physicians (as well as dietitians and nutritionists) have imbibed about the science of nutrition were mostly based on many of the lectures and "studies" sponsored by the very influential agricultural, processed food and pharmaceutical industry (the so-called "agriculture-processed food-pharmaceutical industrial complex") — and they are mostly nothing short of biased propaganda to promote their own specific business/financial agenda.

In truth, there is a huge amount of relevant data from published studies and research out there that a lot of us doctors, dietitians, nutritionists and other medical professionals are not even aware of for one very simple reason — they haven't ever been presented nor discussed in many of the medical meetings and conventions that are most often industry-sponsored. Hence, most of us are ill-equipped to provide accurate information and give proper nutritional advice to our patients.

Thereafter, following a consistent Low Carbohydrates Healthy Fats (LCHF)/Ketogenic dietary regimen (which, from current published evidence, might as well be appropriately called the "ideal human diet") done in conjunction with episodic Intermittent Fasting (IF), I lost at least 20 lbs off my weight, regained back my normal BMI and waist circumference, lowered my day-to-day blood pressures back to persistently acceptable levels and normalized my levels of serum triglycerides and HDL. Indeed, I successfully reversed my own Metabolic Syndrome!

As an added bonus, 80-90% of my chronic body pain symptoms went away - especially those related to chronic back musculoskeletal pains that were brought about by myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) as well as the chronic pain in the soles of my feet (a.k.a. plantar fasciitis). It was only later that I realized chronic high carbohydrate intake leading to Metabolic Syndrome coincidingly leads also to a very highly inflammatory state - which accurately explains why I had those recurrent body pains which very significantly improved after I went strict low carb!

Having realized that most of my stroke patients were themselves actually victims of Metabolic Syndrome as the root cause mechanism, I began applying my own learnings and experience to my own set of Metabolic Syndrome patients (especially those who were seriously and genuinely motivated and disciplined to regain their own metabolic health), successfully duplicating my own experience with impressive results!

Based on WHO estimates, Metabolic Syndrome and all its associated complications — especially ischemic heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, dementia including Alzheimer's disease, T2DM, most kidney diseases — cause the greatest number of non-communicable disease deaths worldwide. To cut to the chase, METABOLIC SYNDROME is the No. 1 killer in the world today!

Unfortunately, it remains a silent threat. However, it is an URGENT PROBLEM the entire world is currently facing, and hopefully, by working together with other Low Carbohydrate lifestyle advocates, we can all do something concrete and significant to successfully address it on a substantial scale.

Again, let's reiterate: Metabolic Syndrome is the number one killer in the world today! Mainstream medicine and consequently the general public often overlook the underlying causes, disregarding the gravity of the situation, perhaps unintentionally. This failure to fully comprehend the root of the problem exacerbates its impact, making it imperative for us to prioritize a more comprehensive understanding of Metabolic Syndrome and its consequences. 

With a healthcare system that is predominantly tainted by the food and pharmaceutical industry and healthcare guidelines not faithfully reflecting the data of true nutrition science, it is indeed very much confusing to attain sustainable metabolic health in today's world. Somehow, we can still find a way to fix our metabolic problems. 

Break FREE from the shackles of hypertension, diabetes, and the dreaded Metabolic Syndrome complications of stroke and heart attack  ̶  so YOU can TRANSFORM yourself for the better and live a healthier and hopefully longer LIFE!

Join me in this journey and let's make it a priority to empower our lives with optimized metabolic health!

Let's #FightStroke #FightHeartAttack #FightDiabetes #FightObesity #FightCancer #StartEmYoung #LowCarbNeurologist #MetabolicNeurologist #FightMetabolicSyndrome!

— Dr. Don Agcopra, MD, FPNA