 Metabolic syndrome, also known as syndrome X, is a medical disorder characterized by the so-called deadly quartet, abdominal obesity, high-fasting sugars, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. And it sets people up for a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. It's been estimated to afflict about a quarter of the American population. How do we stop it? How do we prevent it? Well, if it's all about obesity, the level of fat in our blood, and high blood pressure, then that seems like a job for plant-based nutrition. We didn't know for sure, though, until recently. Even after adjusting for lifestyle factors such as smoking and exercise, risk was highest in those eating non-vegetarian, intermediate risk for those eating semi-vegetarian, and lowest in those eating vegetarian, cutting the odds of having metabolic syndrome by more than half.