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Metabolic syndrome is characterized by several types of dysregulations in the body that increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. To have metabolic syndrome, a person must have three or more of the following factors:
- High blood sugar
- High blood pressure
- Elevated triglycerides
- Low HDL cholesterol (also known as “good” cholesterol)
- Extra fat in the stomach area
You may also hear of metabolic syndrome referred to as insulin resistance syndrome. The disorders that characterize metabolic syndrome typically do not have obvious symptoms. For this reason, symptoms of metabolic syndrome will look like other conditions and are most easily detected through lab work.
If left untreated, metabolic syndrome can advance and cause other conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes so it is important to take steps to manage the condition before it worsens.
How Diet Influences Metabolic Syndrome
The foods you eat every day have a significant effect on your overall health and ultimately will influence the outcomes for someone with metabolic syndrome. If your diet is high in processed foods, sugary foods and saturated fats this can worsen the condition. Processed foods are usually high in calories, sugar and sodium while lacking in nutrients. Eating these types of “empty calories” can cause weight gain and increased blood sugar which contributes to metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic Syndrome Diet: Food and Lifestyle Changes
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help significantly with managing symptoms of metabolic syndrome and stopping the condition from worsening. Eating healthy and exercising regularly helps with maintaining a healthy weight, lowering “bad” cholesterol levels and keeping blood pressure normal.
All of the factors that influence metabolic syndrome can worsen over time if measures are not taken. For example, when poorly regulated blood sugar levels are not addressed, it can progress to type 2 diabetes and when high cholesterol is ignored it may eventually develop into a more serious heart condition like atherosclerosis. For these reasons, it is essential to change your diet and lifestyle if you have metabolic syndrome to help improve your overall health.
Recommended Foods for Managing Metabolic Syndrome
When it comes to managing metabolic syndrome, the most important foods to eat are going to be those that are rich in nutrients and support a well-rounded diet. This includes vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains.
Vegetables
When it comes to improving your diet, incorporating more vegetables will help add nutrients, fiber and antioxidants. Vegetables are great for people who have metabolic syndrome since they are a good source of fiber, potassium and antioxidants. Fiber can help to regulate blood sugar and potassium can balance blood pressure since it counteracts the effects of sodium and antioxidants support overall wellness. Vegetables are also naturally low in sodium and saturated fat which helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Fruits
Fresh fruit is a valuable addition to any healthy diet, offering antioxidants, fiber and essential nutrients that support overall health. Although specific studies on the effects of fruit for those with metabolic syndrome are limited, including fruit in your diet can still be beneficial. Since metabolic syndrome often involves challenges with blood sugar regulation, it’s generally advised to enjoy fruit in moderation due to its natural sugar content. However, with mindful portion sizes, fruit can be a nutritious and worthwhile component of your diet.
Healthy fats
Healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids are great for people who have metabolic syndrome for several reasons. Eating more healthy fats and less saturated fats helps to lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and improve triglyceride and cholesterol levels. To incorporate more healthy fats into your diet, replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats like olive oil, avocados and nuts. Other benefits of healthy fats also include providing energy, improving nutrient absorption, reducing inflammation and supporting gut health.
Whole grains
Eating whole grains may help improve metabolic function in several ways, including: improving insulin action, reducing triglycerides, improving glucose metabolism, reducing blood pressure, improving cholesterol clearance and helping to reduce body weight.
Notable Diets That Support Metabolic Health
The best approach to health and wellness will vary from person to person. Some people may benefit most from simply focusing on eating more nutritious foods while others may prefer a more structured diet plan. Although there is not one specific metabolic syndrome diet, there are several healthy diets that can help support metabolic health including the Mediterranean Diet, DASH diet and a plant-based diet.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet is often credited as one of the best diets for heart health and overall health. This diet involves eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and olive oil while eating moderate amounts of fish, poultry and dairy products. The Mediterranean Diet also limits red meat and restricts processed foods, sugar and saturated fats. General guidelines of the Mediterranean Diet include:
- Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts daily
- Eat fish and seafood 2 to 3 times per week
- Eat poultry, eggs and dairy 1 to 2 times per week
- Incorporate healthy fats into each meal such as olive oil, avocados and seeds
- Limit red meat and sugary foods to once a month or less
The Mediterranean Diet is a great option for those who have metabolic syndrome. This is because it supports weight loss, blood sugar regulation and it decreases inflammation and blood pressure.
DASH Diet
The DASH Diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. As stated in the name, this diet is designed to help lower blood pressure. This diet focuses on eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy as well as limiting foods that are high in salt, saturated fat and added sugar. Following the DASH Diet might look something like this:
- Use less salt when cooking and avoid sodium-heavy foods like processed and pre-made foods
- Eat 4-5 servings of fruit and 4-5 servings of vegetables daily
- Eat 6-8 servings of whole grains daily
- Stick to low-fat dairy products and have 2-3 servings per day
- Eat 6 or less servings of meat, poultry and fish per day
- Eat 4-5 servings of nuts, seeds and beans per week
The DASH Diet is a great option for those with metabolic syndrome. This is because it can help to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, support weight loss and lower your risk of heart disease.
Plant-based Diet
A plant-based diet may be a good option for someone with metabolic syndrome but it is important to eat high-quality foods when eating a plant-based diet to ensure that you are getting enough nutrients. Someone who eats a plant-based diet does not eat any meat or animal products. This means that your diet consists of fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains and you do not eat any meat, eggs, poultry, fish or dairy.
A plant-based diet is usually high in fiber and low in saturated fat which is beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome. Additionally, plant-based diets help to improve cholesterol levels, support weight loss and lower inflammation. It is important that a plant-based diet includes high-quality foods like fresh fruits and vegetables and avoids things like processed carbohydrates and sugar. You may also have to supplement certain nutrients like vitamin B12, zinc and iodine when eating a plant-based diet.
Foods to Avoid with Metabolic Syndrome
Just like how you want to make sure you’re adding the right foods to your metabolic syndrome diet, you also want to make sure that you are leaving out certain foods as well. Some important foods to avoid if you have metabolic syndrome include refined carbohydrates, cured meats, saturated fats and processed foods.
Refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates include white flour and refined sugar. Common foods that are high in refined carbohydrates include cereal, white bread, white rice, candy, pastries, chips, soda and juice. To avoid refined carbohydrates you’ll want to ensure you’re eating whole-grain alternatives and cutting down on sugary snacks and drinks as much as possible. Refined carbohydrates are low in nutrients and fiber and high in sugar. They can cause blood sugar to increase and contribute to weight gain.
Cured meats
Cured meats like hot dogs, deli meat, sausage and bacon are best to be avoided when you have metabolic syndrome. This is because cured meats may contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease since they are high in sodium, nitrites and saturated fats.
Saturated fats
Saturated fats are found in red meat, whole milk dairy products and some baked goods. Eating saturated fats regularly can contribute to high levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL), increase risk of heart disease and contribute to weight gain so it is best that they be avoided and limited as much as possible by people who have metabolic syndrome.
Processed foods
Processed foods include fast food and packaged, pre-made food such as chips, candy, crackers and cookies. Packaged foods are usually high in sugar and calories and low in nutrients. They often contain high levels of sodium and saturated fats so it is best to avoid them since they can contribute to increased blood pressure, cholesterol and weight gain.
UCF’s Comprehensive Approach to Metabolic Wellness
If you’ve recently found out that you have metabolic syndrome, managing your lifestyle habits and diet can have a major impact on the future of your health. Working with a skilled specialist for checkups can ensure your health is closely tracked and you can get the best evidence-based recommendations. The providers with UCF Health Faculty Physician Practice Endocrinology can help with managing conditions like high blood sugar, elevated cholesterol and diabetes. Schedule your visit today.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK343489/
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/healthy-eating/fiber-helps-diabetes.html