Several fields of medicine have been concerned with the role of the microbiome in maintaining the balance in the human body and its changes in the pathogenesis of diseases in recent years. The intestinal microbiome seems to play a key role in the regulation of metabolic pathways, inflammation and intestinal permeability. The aim of this review is to assess the importance of the intestinal microbiome in metabolic syndrome and the therapeutic or preventive potential of its manipulation. Key words: metabolic syndrome • microbiome • probiotics • prebiotics • fecal transplant.