What is Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a pre-pathological state associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Here, we'll explain what it is and how to treat it.

Living a sedentary lifestyle isn’t good for your health. Although we tend to think the way a person looks determines if they’re healthy or not, it might be a reflection of what’s happening inside the body. Metabolic syndrome is a problem that can affect this.

One of the most important things to keep in mind to lead a healthy lifestyle is hormones. Metabolic syndrome can seriously alter the hormonal system–common in sedentary people.

What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a set of biochemical, physiological, and clinical factors. They determine a much higher risk of heart disease and diabetes and even death can be a consequence of these diseases.

This syndrome is common in those with poor diets and lacking physical activity. In other words, it’s common in sedentary people. These are some of the signs and symptoms:

• High levels of insulin in blood plasma.
• Increased blood triglyceride levels.
• High cholesterol levels. High cholesterol can be found both in the plasma and in the wall of the arteries.
• Intolerance to physical exercise, or getting tired very easily.
• Central obesity. This means that the fat is mainly in the abdomen and waist region.

What causes metabolic syndrome?

In general, a sedentary lifestyle causes metabolic syndrome. Here, we’ll delve a little deeper into its main causes:

High fat intake

Following a diet rich in fats, especially saturated fat, causes this fat to build up in fat reserves. Also, it’ll raise blood triglyceride levels.

If the fat remains high in circulation, it deposits in tissues, such as the heart or liver. In addition, it changes the hormones in your body and slows down your metabolism. Then, it causes obesity and a vicious cycle that’s hard to break.

Also, foods are high in cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol. This can build up in the arteries and cause problems such as a heart attack or stroke.

Eating too much sugar

Eating foods rich in simple carbohydrates, such as candy, processed pastries, or junk food- foods also very high in saturated fats- will raise your blood sugar.

This stimulates pancreatic insulin secretion. If you continue doing this, your body can become insensitive to these glucose levels. Then, it’ll be harder for your pancreas to make insulin, which could lead to type II diabetes.

Lack of physical activity

The habits we just mentioned aren’t healthy at all. However, you could improve this by exercising frequently at a high intensity.

This is because exercise gives energy to the body to burn glucose and fat in the bloodstream. This way, it prevents them from building up in tissues and helps the pancreas secrete insulin.

However, if you don’t exercise, which is usually the case in these patients, it makes the problem worse. Then, it ends in complications we mentioned, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome treatment

You can usually treat this condition with your diet and habits. In other words, there’s no need to take drugs or have surgery. Here are some useful steps:

1. Change your diet. Prioritize fresh, plant-based foods and add lean meats such as turkey, chicken, and fish.
2. Start exercising. At first, you can start with low-intensity exercises, then gradually increase it.
3. Get enough rest. Your body needs enough sleep to maintain healthy hormones.

These are the general tips that are recommended to lose weight. In this case, we want to emphasize the importance of speaking to an expert food professional, such as an endocrinologist or nutritionist, to assess each case.

This is essential since sometimes you’re on the border between developing diabetes or not developing it. Professional guidance will help prevent relapses or possible risks in the process. This way, you can stay healthy in a balanced way.