Mediterranean Diet May Reverse Metabolic Syndrome

New research suggests that people with metabolic syndrome could help to rid themselves of the condition by eating a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts. Dr. Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Human Nutrition Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Rovira i Virgili and Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan de Reus (Spain), and colleagues analyzed data from the PREDIMED randomized controlled trial, which included men and women aged 55-80 years old at high risk of heart disease. Participants were randomly assigned to consume 1 of 3 diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, or a low-fat diet (control). In this analysis, the researchers looked at the long-term effects of the Mediterranean diet on metabolic syndrome in 5801 men and women, almost 64% (3707) of which had metabolic syndrome at the start of the study. After a median follow up period of 4.8 years, results showed that people in the 2 Mediterranean diet groups had decreased central obesity and blood glucose levels. Furthermore, 28.2% of participants no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome, thus suggesting that the diet may help to reverse the condition. However, eating a Mediterranean diet appeared to have no impact on the incidence of new cases of metabolic syndrome. "Mediterranean diets supplemented with olive oil or nuts were not associated with a reduced incidence of metabolic syndrome compared with a low-fat diet; however, both diets were associated with a significant rate of reversion of metabolic syndrome," concluded the authors.