Metabolic syndrome is a collection of nasty conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. Metabolic syndrome puts you on a bumpy road to type 2 diabetes and obesity, or so-called diabesity. It also carries an increased risk of depression and anxiety.

High blood sugar is often attributed to insulin resistance: an inability to process glucose properly. Sugars build up in the blood and can become toxic to every organ in your body. Insulin’s job is to chaperone sugars into your cells for energy, but if dietary sugar swamps the system, insulin reroutes it to fat cells, paradoxically leaving the rest of your cells starving. That leads to both fat buildup and hunger, a one-two punch for weight gain. Eliminating sugars and starchy foods can be a life-saver for people with metabolic syndrome.

Studies show that a healthy gut microbiota is a diverse one. But if you are avoiding carbs, it may be hard to get the diverse prebiotic fiber that microbes love. Many foods with carbs also contain micronutrients, flavonoids, and polyphenols, so if you are going to eliminate them, you might want to top off with a prebiotic or polyphenol supplement.

You can make sure that you have plenty of beneficial prebiotics and polyphenols by eating a varied diet of low-carb veggies and fruit. However, if you can’t manage five helpings of fiber-rich foods a day, try a supplement like Clarity Prebiotic Blend.