If you have metabolic syndrome, what you eat could make a big difference. A new study found that a Mediterranean diet reversed the condition in 36% of people, compared to just 11% on a standard low-fat diet.
The study followed 156 middle-aged men and women in Chile for six months. Some followed a Mediterranean diet, with or without extra psychological support. Others ate a low-fat diet. The Mediterranean diet group saw bigger improvements in waist size, triglycerides, and blood sugar.
But these results are early. This is an interim analysis of a 12-month trial, and only about two-thirds of participants completed the six-month check-in. The full results are still to come. Safety data were not reported.
Still, the findings suggest that switching to a Mediterranean diet could be a powerful way to tackle metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that raises the odds of heart disease and diabetes.