Metabolic syndrome is on the rise, as is bloating, fatigue, stubborn weight gain, and poor digestion. Could it all be connected?
While metabolic syndrome is typically defined by a cluster of issues like high blood pressure, insulin resistance, excess belly fat, and elevated cholesterol, what’s often left out of the conversation is the role of our gut health.
Our microbiome. the trillions of microbes living in our digestive system,plays a pivotal role in regulating blood sugar, our metabolism, inflammation, and even cravings. In fact, gut imbalances may be a root driver of metabolic dysfunction.
What Is Metabolic Syndrome:
Metabolic syndrome isn’t a single disease, it’s a group of risk factors that increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic health conditions.
You may be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome if you have three or more of the following:
- High fasting blood glucose
- High blood pressure
- Elevated triglycerides
- Low HDL (the “good” cholesterol)
- Abdominal obesity or high waist circumference
But here’s what’s exciting: these markers are highly modifiable, especially when we take a root-cause approach and start with supporting the gut.
How Gut Health Impacts our Metabolic Health
The microbiome is involved in almost every part of the metabolic function, including how you process food, regulate insulin, store body fat, and manage inflammation.
Blood Sugar Balance
Gut bacteria help regulate how quickly macronutrients such as carbohydrates are broken down and absorbed. An imbalanced microbiome can lead to blood sugar spikes and insulin resistance, both being main drivers of metabolic syndrome.
Some species, like Akkermansia muciniphila, are associated with better glucose control and aiding in reduced fat storage, but these beneficial bacteria can be depleted by poor diet, antibiotics, and chronic stress.
Weight & Fat Storage
A wide variety of bacteria have the ability to extract more energy (calories) from food than others. Studies show that people with higher species levels of Firmicutes and lower levels of Bacteroidetes are more prone to gain weight and a variety of metabolic issues, even with similar calorie intake.
A balanced gut helps regulate our appetite hormones such as ghrelin and leptin, reducing our cravings and supporting the natural sense of fullness.
Inflammation
Low-grade, chronic inflammation is a hallmark of metabolic syndrome. A compromised gut barrier (or more known as “leaky gut”), allows bacteria fragments like lipopolysaccharides (LPS) into the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation and insulin resistance.
This gut-driven inflammation creates a cycle: the more inflamed our body is, the harder it is to regulate blood sugar levels and burn fat efficiently.
Signs Our Gut Might Be Contributing to Metabolic Dysfunction
- Sugar cravings or difficulty feeling full
- Bloating, constipation, or IBS-like symptoms
- Fatigue, especially after eating
- Mood swings or brain fog
- Unexplained weight gain or weight loss resistance
- Skin issues like acne or eczema
How to Support Our Gut for Better Metabolic Health
The goal should never be perfection, it’s about creating consistency with small steps to our habits. Here’s is where I like to start:
Eat for our gut bugs (microbes).
Fill your plate with diverse, fibre-rich plant foods, things like leafy greens, legumes, berries, and root veggies (Sweet potato, potato, carrots pumpkin), to feed beneficial bacteria and reduce inflammation.
Ditch ultra-processed foods.
Highly refined carbs, seed oils, and additives feed the wrong microbes and increase gut permeability.
Embrace fermented foods.
Foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, and miso help support microbial diversity and gut lining integrity by containing natural probiotics.
Sleep & stress matter too.
Lack of sleep and high stress levels cause our cortisol to skike, whilst cortisol can be a healthy thing, too much over a long time can cause damage within our bodies. Lack of sleep also increases blood sugar levels, and alters gut bacteria. Prioritise rest and daily stress management practices like meditation or grounding.
Consider targeted support.
In some cases, prebiotics, probiotics, or gut-healing nutrients (like L-glutamine, zinc, and polyphenols) can help repair the gut and support metabolic recovery. However, doing these without knowing what’s going on in the body, can cause more damage, so work with someone you know.