The #1 Nutrient to Improve Metabolic Syndrome

Have you been told you have metabolic syndrome? You’re not alone. About one in three adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with this condition, which raises the risk for coronary heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

The silver lining is that metabolic syndrome is not a permanent diagnosis. You can take steps to better manage and improve your health, and one effective way to do this is by bolstering your  intake of this one nutrient.

We’ll dive into what metabolic syndrome is, reveal the #1 nutrient that can help improve it and share easy ways to add more of it into your daily diet.

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is identified when a person has 3 or more of the following conditions: high blood pressure, high blood glucose, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and excess weight around the waist.1 Each person may have a different combination of the 5 conditions, so tackling metabolic syndrome may look a bit different for everyone. 

What is clear is that this diagnosis can serve as a helpful warning that your health may be heading down a concerning direction, says Jenna Braddock, RDN, a performance dietitian nutritionist. Now, it’s time for action.

The good news is that metabolic syndrome can be managed, and its conditions can even be reversed. When it comes to taking action, there’s one nutrient you can start incorporating into your meals, snacks and even drinks to help manage and improve your condition. Enter our #1 nutrient for metabolic syndrome: fiber. 

The #1 Nutrient to Improve Metabolic Syndrome

“Fiber may be the one nutrient that has been shown to have a positive effect on all the components of metabolic syndrome,” says Braddock. She notes that consuming a high fiber diet has been shown to benefit body weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. By incorporating more fiber-rich foods into your diet, you could potentially improve all aspects of metabolic health. Studies show that people who follow a high-fiber diet are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome.

Here’s some behind-the-scenes of what’s going on: When you consume fiber-rich foods, they are broken down and digested slowly by the body. This gradual digestion helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, allowing for a slow and steady release of glucose into the bloodstream, preventing spikes that could lead to high blood glucose or triglycerides.

What’s more, fiber plays a role in weight management. “High-fiber foods often require more time to chew and help slow down eating rate,” says Renee Korczak Ph.D., RDN, a registered dietitian for OLIPOP. “Meals that are high in fiber decrease ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and increase satiety, the feeling of fullness experienced after a meal,” she explains. Including high-fiber foods in your diet can help reduce body weight over time.

Fiber also aids in managing cholesterol levels. A specific type of fiber called soluble fiber binds to cholesterol floating in the bloodstream and helps eliminate it from the body, thereby lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels. Plus, fiber improves the elasticity of blood vessels, supporting healthy blood pressure levels, explains Kunal Lal, MD, an internal medicine physician based in Miami, Florida. Increasing dietary fiber can help lower blood pressure, contributing to improved readings and overall improved heart health.

Tips to Include More Fiber in Your Routine

Fiber is packed into a delicious array of plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds. Here are a few easy ways to start incorporating more fiber into your daily diet:

• Grab Fruit: Braddock recommends apples as a fiber-rich, portable snack that requires zero prep. “They always taste great, contribute to hydration and are available year-round,” she says. Other prep-free, fiber-filled fruits include pears, peaches, plums and dried options like prunes and dates. 
• Nosh on Nuts: Braddock’s favorite way to get more fiber is by eating a serving of nuts daily. “Not only do you get fiber, but you also get protein and healthy fats to satisfy other nutrient needs,” she says. Grab a handful of your favorite nuts for a snack, or sprinkle them into meals you already love to add crunch and flavor. For recipe inspo, whip up our Almond & Lemon Crusted Fish with Spinach or Quick Walnut Tacos. 
• Tap Into More Grains: We often think of brown rice as the go-to whole grain, but there’s a whole world of options: kamut, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, farro, sorghum, teff, millet and amaranth. Cook these like rice, make grain bowls and pilafs and use them in fried rice, soups or salads. 
• Add a Veggie: Whether you have fresh, frozen or canned on hand, try to add at least one veggie to your plate at meals. Bonus points if you add one to breakfast! We love incorporating veggies into omelets like our Veggie Omelet, breakfast sandwiches like our Egg Sandwich with Rosemary, Tomato & Feta or in green smoothies. 
• Show Beans and Lentils Love: Beans and lentils are jam-packed with fiber and plant-based protein. Enjoy them whole, mash them into burgers, blend them into dips, stir into soups or add to salads. 
• Sprinkle in Seeds: Hemp, chia, flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds are all stellar sources of fiber, and they’re easy to add to any dish. Try sprinkling hemp onto salads, tossing flax seeds into smoothies, adding pumpkin seeds in trail mixes or whipping up our Blueberry Almond Chia Pudding. You can even bake a batch of our Super-Seed Snack Bars. 

The Bottom Line

Fiber is the #1 nutrient for improving metabolic syndrome, as it helps manage high blood sugar, blood pressure, triglycerides and weight. To increase your fiber intake, grab a piece of fruit, add a veggie to your meals, sprinkle in more nuts and seeds, try a variety of whole grains and eat more beans and lentils. 

Remember, while diet is an important part of managing metabolic syndrome, other lifestyle factors play a role too, such as staying active, managing stress, getting proper sleep and taking any prescribed medications as directed by your doctor.