Home Remedies and Herbs for Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome refers to a range of risk factors that increase your risk of medical problems like diabetes and heart disease.¹ These risk factors include:

• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar
• High triglyceride levels
• Low HDL, or “good” cholesterol
• High levels of fat around the waist

Individuals may experience only one of these symptoms or all of them. However, you must have at least three of these risk factors to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.²

What Causes Metabolic Syndrome?

It’s not entirely clear what causes metabolic syndrome, although it’s thought that insulin resistance plays a major role.¹ Insulin is the hormone responsible for helping move sugar into the cells so they can convert it into energy.² Being resistant to the hormone leads to high blood sugar levels. 

Genetic factors are strongly linked to metabolic syndrome, with 80 percent of patients with the condition showing a genetic inheritance.³ Obesity is also linked to metabolic syndrome as is old age.² Risk increases if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome, cardiovascular disease, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.⁴ Individuals who experience interruptions in their sleep patterns, such as those who suffer from sleep apnea, may also be at risk of insulin resistance, which therefore increases their chance of developing metabolic syndrome.⁵

Metabolic Syndrome Symptoms

Metabolic syndrome symptoms can be difficult to detect without getting tested for markers like high blood pressure and high cholesterol by your physician. Part of this is because symptoms and complications associated with the condition develop gradually over time.⁵ However, if you are overweight, obese, or have a family history of heart disease or diabetes, it’s best to be on the lookout for metabolic syndrome symptoms. 

Among these symptoms, women may experience ovarian cysts and irregular periods.⁵ This is due to the link between polycystic ovarian syndrome and metabolic syndrome. People with metabolic syndrome also tend to have more skin tags than normal, which are benign raised growths of skin. Acanthosis nigricans, which refers to a pigmentation or discoloration of the skin around the neck and arms, is also more common in people with metabolic syndrome.⁵ 

Metabolic syndrome can usually be controlled through a variety of lifestyle changes, including changes to diet and exercise. If these changes alone don’t help, talk to your doctor about taking medications for controlling blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.⁶ Various herbal remedies may help in controlling symptoms and assist in losing weight to reduce risk of metabolic syndrome and related conditions.

References

1. https://medlineplus.gov/metabolicsyndrome.html
2. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ms
3. http://www.umcvc.org/conditions-treatments/metabolic-syndrome
4. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/symptoms-causes/d
   xc-20197520
5. https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/disease-disorders/metabolic-syndrome/
6. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/treatment/txc-20197533