What a 5% Weight Loss Can Do for Your Health?

True health benefits do not require you to lose weight to your high school size. Even a few pounds lost can make a significant effect. Five percent of your body weight -- 10 pounds for a 200-pound individual -- can help with a variety of health issues while also making you feel better. 

Relax on Joints

Just 10 pounds more puts 40 pounds of strain on your knees and other lower body joints. This can cause them to wear out faster. Extra fat can also promote inflammation, which occurs when chemicals in your body harm your own tissues, including your joints, over time. Even a small amount of weight loss can help to mitigate these consequences. You are considerably less prone to develop arthritis later in life if you keep it off.

Reduce Triglycerides 

They are bodily particles that transfer fat for storage and energy. High values (greater than 200 mg/dl) indicate an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke. If you lose some weight, you can reach closer to healthy levels (about 150 mg/dl). 

Reduce Your Cancer Risk

According to one study, older women who lost at least 5% of their body weight reduced their risk of breast cancer by 12%. There is no convincing evidence that lowering weight protects you from other types, although several changes that occur when you lose weight suggest that it may. Overweight persons who lose weight, for example, have lower levels of several hormones linked to cancer, such as estrogens, insulin, and androgens.

 Stop Sleep Apnea

Overweight people develop excess tissue at the back of their throats. When you sleep, your body relaxes and that tissue can fall down and restrict your airway. It causes you to stop breathing repeatedly during the night, causing a slew of health issues, particularly for your heart. Slimming down will often help with sleep apnea, often to the point where you can quit using the bulky breathing devices that treat it.

Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

If you are more likely to develop the problem, losing weight is one of two options for preventing or delaying it. The other option is to engage in moderate exercise for 30 minutes five days a week. If you weigh 160 pounds, you only need to lose 8-12 of them to reap the benefits. If you currently have diabetes, decreasing weight can help you use less medicine, maintain blood sugar control, and reduce the likelihood that the illness will cause other health concerns.

A "Good" Cholesterol Rise

You can lower your LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, by eating healthier and taking drugs. However, increasing levels of the "good" cholesterol, HDL, is more difficult. That is the type that removes bad LDL from your blood, therefore the more you have, the better. Exercise and decreasing body fat can move you into the optimal HDL range: above 60 mg/dl, which lowers your risk of heart disease.

Reduce Inflammation

Fat cells, particularly those around the stomach, can emit chemicals that irritate and inflame tissues throughout the body. This has been connected to health issues such as arthritis, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Working for a 10% weight loss goal will allow you to reduce the amount of these substances and reduce your chances of developing a major illness.

If you are experiencing any of the difficulties described above, it is time to contact one of our detox specialists and

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