Editor's Note: The information presented in this article came in part from research by an important non-profit group called the Life Extension Foundation (LEF). You can read more about the LEF at the end of this article.

How Sugar Metabolism Affects Tinnitus, Part 2:
Hyperinsulinemia, Obesity and Diabetes

by Barry Keate

Last month we looked at ways in which diet affects sugar metabolism and therefore tinnitus. We cited a research report from Brazil, which found that up to 90% of people with tinnitus are also suffering from hyperinsulinemia and that controlling this condition resulted in tinnitus improvement in 76% of those people. The article can be seen HERE.

This month we’re going to pursue this train of thought a little further, offering some specifics for low glycemic diets and some other products that can help reduce insulin resistance and the propensity towards Type II Diabetes. While we won’t be talking much about tinnitus in this article, please keep in mind that hyperinsulinemia has been found to be a significant factor in cochlear health and reducing excess insulin can very effectively lower tinnitus symptoms.

Those afflicted with Type I Diabetes do not produce enough insulin. For these individuals, supplemental insulin is a lifesaving therapy. We often associate insulin with healthy hormones but insulin has an insidious dark side.

As normal aging and poor diet deprive cells of insulin sensitivity, many people’s pancreas produce excess insulin to force serum glucose into cells. For instance, in a normal person one unit of insulin might be needed to help 10 mg of glucose go into a cell group. In hyperinsulinemia, ten units of insulin might be needed to get the same 10 mg of glucose into the cell group. This excessive insulin production is a contributing cause to a host of degenerative disorders, including heart disease and cancer.

The most immediate and noticeable effect of excess insulin production is unwanted weight gain. Insulin drives fat into cells, prevents fat from being released and makes people chronically hungry. This results in a vicious cycle in which overeating causes more and more body fat to accumulate, which in turn causes greater amounts of insulin to be secreted, which then makes us continually hungry.

Numerous published studies reveal that excess serum insulin is a major health problem. It promotes hypertension, harms the kidneys and vascular system, increases the risk of certain cancer progressions and may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

One effective way of reducing insulin production is to eat a diet consisting of foods low on the glycemic index and glycemic load charts. The glycemic index is a ranking of carbohydrates based on their immediate effects on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly have the highest glycemic index. Those that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have the lowest index.

The glycemic load chart goes a step further in providing a measure of total glycemic response to a food. It factors the glycemic index by the amount of carbohydrates per serving of that particular food.

Foods that have a glycemic index reading of over 70 combined with a glycemic load reading of over 20 means that they release sugar rapidly into the bloodstream and have a high carbohydrate content per serving. These foods should be avoided. A food such as a carrot having a glycemic index of 71 (bad) but a glycemic load index of 3.8 (very good) is perfectly acceptable. Below is a short list of high glycemic index/load foods vs. low glycemic index/load foods:

You can find lists of the glycemic index for foods by searching on the internet. It’s a little more difficult to find lists that incorporate the total glycemic load, which may be more important. One of the best I’ve found can be viewed HERE.

Reducing high glycemic foods is the best way to reduce insulin production. However (and here we get into the meat of what this article is about), there are other techniques that can also provide significant support in lowering insulin, losing weight and reducing tinnitus. There are ways to reduce the rapid sugar release into the bloodstream, even if high glycemic foods are eaten.

Scientific studies have consistently shown the ability of water soluble fiber to inhibit carbohydrate absorption, reduce cholesterol and LDL and induce weight loss. When taken before meals, the fiber binds with water in the stomach and small intestine to form a gelatinous, viscous mass that slows the absorption of sugars. The net effect is a reduction in the number of absorbed calories, reduced insulin production and the inducement of a feeling of fullness.

The problem until now has been that the large quantity of fiber required to produce a meaningful effect has resulted in poor compliance, primarily because of upper and lower gastrointestinal discomfort. In the early 1990s, scientists at the University of Toronto began to investigate a novel class of viscous fibers in order to identify a low dose blend that would be effective in reducing blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol and LDL levels.

The main water soluble fibers are Psyllium (found in Metamucil and other fiber products), Xanthan, Guar and Glucomannan. The viscosity, or gelling property, of these fibers is: Psyllium, 6; Xanthan, 12; Guar, 17; Glucomannan, 41.

As seen above, glucomannan posses the highest viscosity of all known soluble fibers. Four to five grams of glucomannan mixed with fluid or food can slow carbohydrate absorption and dampen the ensuing insulin spike by up to 50%.

The reason glucomannan has fallen by the wayside is that in the 1980s, programs promoting quick weight loss advertised it as a supplement that could magically make fat people thin. The Federal Trade Commission stepped in and aggressively attacked those who were making exaggerated fat loss claims. The resultant negative reports by the press caused glucomannan to be viewed by the public as a worthless supplement.

Clinical studies, however, are quite impressive. Although glucomannan does not magically make fat people thin, a double blind trial showed that compared to placebo, obese subjects taking one gram of glucomannan before each meal lost 5.5 pounds after only eight weeks. The subjects did not change eating or exercise patterns. Total cholesterol was reduced by 21.7 mg/dL and LDL was reduced by 15 mg/dL.

Building on the basis of glucomannan, University of Toronto scientists led by Vladimir Vuksan, PhD, combined it with two other fibers to increase the viscosity of the original glucomannan by 2.5 to 5 times. A mulberry concentrate was also added to enhance the glycemic control and cholesterol lowering effects. The superior viscosity of this fiber blend enables much smaller quantities to be taken. The fiber blend’s trade name is PGX®, which stands for “polyglycoplex.”

At the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association, last spring, the results of two clinical studies using the PGX fiber were presented. The first study reported on the effects of taking 3 grams of the fiber blend followed by a huge 50 gram acute glucose challenge. Those taking the fiber blend had a 65% reduction in glucose elevation.

The second study was performed over a three week period. Study participants took three grams of the fiber blend three times a day before meals. After three weeks, there was a 23% reduction in after meal glucose, a 40% reduction in after meal insulin release, and a 55.9% improvement in insulin sensitivity. In addition, this fiber blend reduced body fat by 2.8% from baseline after only three weeks.

As a result of these findings, a large, longer term clinical study has been initiated to further evaluate this unique fiber blend’s effects on weight loss and overall health.

In the meantime, the Life Extension Foundation recommends that people seeking to lose weight and reduce hyperinsulinemia consume the following:

Please remember; the primary reason we are publishing this information is because it has been shown that a reduction in excess insulin in the bloodstream leads to an improvement in tinnitus in 76% of people. The reduction can vary from moderate to completely resolved.

Please keep in mind that the use of PGX fiber does not replace or circumvent the need for exercise or eating a healthy diet, low in saturated fats, sugar, and highly processed foods.

Warning: Drink at least 4 oz of water per capsule when taking this product. Taking this product without adequate fluid may cause it to swell and block your throat or esophagus and may cause choking. Do not take this product if you have difficulty in swallowing. If you experience chest pain, vomiting, or difficulty in swallowing or breathing after taking this product, seek immediate medical attention.

Arches Tinnitus Formulas has also been shown to be very helpful for most people with tinnitus. The combination of Arches Tinnitus Formulas, a healthy diet with plenty of exercise, and the use of PGX fiber before meals can provide significant relief for the great majority of tinnitus sufferers. This combination will also result in a longer, healthier life.

PGX fiber is available through the Life Extension Foundation and they provide a lot of detailed information about it. You can find the product HERE.