metabolic syndrome diet: 9 foods to eat or avoid

Authored by: Eric Venn-Watson, MD

Summary

• Foods to avoid to keep metabolic syndrome at bay include added sugar, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, refined carbs, and sodium.
• Foods to eat to keep metabolic syndrome at bay include fiber, potassium, omega-3s, and pentadecanoic acid (aka C15:0).
• C15:0 helps support metabolic health by binding to key receptors, called PPARs, that help to regulate our metabolism and immunity.

It’s no secret, there are parts of our overall health that are on the decline. In America (and many other countries in the world), we’re plagued with health issues that are directly related to poor diet and lack of exercise.

Our bad health habits are taking a toll on us, too. The statistics are in, and it turns out most of us aren’t getting nearly the amount of recommended daily exercise we should be. We’re also exceeding the limits of daily caloric intake. 

What does it all mean? For many, it means the onset of health problems related to blood sugar, cholesterol, and weight gain. Together, they are referred to as metabolic syndrome. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, or one of the conditions that causes it, your healthcare provider may have asked you to begin the metabolic syndrome diet. We’ll talk about what metabolic syndrome is, how a certain diet helps you manage it, and what you should and shouldn’t eat. 

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome isn’t a disease in itself. It’s actually a group of conditions that, when they occur together, put a person at higher risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. 

Metabolic syndrome, therefore, is really a condition where a person is in a high risk zone. 

Here are the hallmark health conditions that put you in the metabolic syndrome “danger zone":

• Increased Blood Pressure. High blood pressure is usually defined as having blood pressure that measures higher than 130/80. Blood pressure higher than 130/80 puts a person at a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.  
• High Blood Sugar. If you don’t have diabetes, you may not have any idea if your blood sugar is high or low. Sometimes, there are no symptoms if your blood sugar is too high. Blood sugar is measured by having your blood drawn after a 10 to 12 hour fast. If your fasting blood sugar is over 100, it’s too high. 
• Excess Body Fat (Especially Around the Waist). Fat around the midsection is a marker of metabolic syndrome. For men, waistlines larger than 40 inches are considered too large to be healthy. For women, the measurement is 35 inches. 
• High Triglycerides. Your triglycerides are measured by a lipid panel blood test. If your triglyceride levels are higher than 150 mg/dL, it’s considered high. 
• Low HDL. HDL is a measure of your “good” cholesterol. If it’s lower than 40 mg/dL for men or 50 mg/dL for women, it’s too low. This measure is also taken by a blood test. 

What is the Metabolic Syndrome Diet?

If you’ve been diagnosed with any of the markers above, you’re at risk of developing metabolic syndrome because of the way these conditions interrelate. As such, you may want to try subscribing to a diet and exercise plan to prevent further development of symptoms. 

The metabolic syndrome diet eliminates certain foods that trigger the conditions of metabolic syndrome and include foods that help you avoid them.
    
While anyone can benefit from eating a diet composed of more whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, people who have underlying conditions which could lead to metabolic syndrome (like the ones referenced above) can find it most beneficial. 

Here are five foods to avoid, and four nutrients to start looking for right now.

Foods to Avoid

Certain foods can trigger the health conditions that cause metabolic syndrome, and they’re part of the average American’s everyday diet. 

• Added Sugar. Sugary foods are foods that contain added sugar. Sugary foods can cause weight gain and affect your blood sugar, especially if they overload your body’s ability to produce enough insulin to move that sugar out of your bloodstream and into either your cells for energy or your liver for storage. 
• “Bad” or Refined Carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates like corn syrup, white bread and four products, white rice, potato chips, and sugary drinks)can have a negative impact on your blood sugar levels in the same way, and can also put you at risk of weight gain. 
• Artificial Sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame can have negative health impacts even though they don’t contain actual “sugar.” Studies have shown that consuming large amounts of artificial sweeteners can still increase your blood sugar levels. Additionally, consuming a lot of artificial sweetener can have negative impact on gastrointestinal health, and can also cause you to crave more sugary food.
• Trans Fats. Trans fats are oils that are found predominantly in processed foods and many frozen food items. Look for these hiding in frozen pizzas, deep fried food, microwave popcorn, cake mixes, and frostings. 
• Sodium. You’re probably already aware that too much salt isn’t good for you. It can even make you feel physically bloated. To add to your reasons to try and get away from salt, many studies found that reducing sodium in your food can help lower your blood pressure.

Nutrients to Eat

Thankfully, there are a lot of nutrients that you can eat that are not only delicious, but also help you drive down the markers for metabolic syndrome. 
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• Fiber. Fiber is heart healthy and colon healthy. If you want to lower your risk of stroke and heart disease, adding fiber can help. Increased fiber helps lower your bad cholesterol, and can help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
• Potassium. Potassium is a mineral that can help support healthy blood pressure. You can find potassium in more than just bananas -- grapes, oranges, black beans, lentils, potatoes, and mushrooms are also great sources. 
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids. We already know omega-3 fatty acids are essential, and for a person with metabolic syndrome, getting enough omega-3’s in their diet can be helping in raising healthy cholesterol levels. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in seeds, nuts, olive oil, avocado, some fish such as sardines and salmon, mackerel, and trout. 
• C15:0 (aka pentadecanoic acid). What is C15:0? C15:0 (pronounced see-fifteen) is an odd-chain saturated fatty acid. We know what you’re thinking -- saturated fat is bad, right? Well, no, not all saturated fats are bad. In fact, some are actually good and essential for us. 

C15:0 helps protect you by diving deep into your cells to promote your cellular and general health. A growing body of research shows that this odd-chain fatty acid may be the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in 90 years.  This means that we may need certain levels of C15:0 in our bodies to stay healthy, our bodies don’t make enough of it, so we must ingest adequate levels of C15:0 in our diet or supplements.

C15:0 helps protect your overall metabolic health by naturally binding to receptors throughout our bodies, called PPARs, that help to regulate our metabolism. C15:0 also helps to restore impaired mitochondrial function, supports your cells’ resilience and functionality, and helps to restore communication between your cells.

When your cells function properly, your body functions properly. Studies have shown that people with higher C15:0 levels in their bodies have a lower risk of having or developing type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and many other conditions.

Where Can You Get C15:0?

You can get C15:0 in trace amounts in full fat dairy products and some fish. However, you can  also get a full, daily dose of C15:0 in a once daily supplement that is easy to take, completely tasteless, and confined to one convenient capsule. 

You don’t have to become a part of the declining health statistics. Giving your body a fighting chance with exercise and a proper diet, including C15:0.

Sources:

https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/index.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351916
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170913193141.htm
https://journals.lww.com/jhypertension/Abstract/2015/08000/Daily_potassium_intake_and_sodium_to_potassium.3.aspx
http://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(14)00140-X/abstract
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213858714701469
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-64960-y