Impact of MIND diet on cognitive function among patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomised control clinical trial

Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet is a new dietary approach designed to help maintain cognitive function. Patients with MetS are at increased risk of cognitive decline due to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunction. Therefore, this population provides an appropriate model to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of the MIND diet, which emphasizes foods with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study aims to investigate the impact of this diet on the cognitive function of patients with MetS. This research was a RCTs conducted with adults diagnosed with MetS who were referred to the Hazrat Ali Health Center in Isfahan. A total of 56 eligible participants were divided into two groups: one group received the MIND diet along with a placebo, while the other served as a control group. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS26. In this study, we compared the two groups. The MIND diet group showed a significant increase in total cognitive function after adjusting for Model 1 [Using Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with distribution of Gamma & link of Log controlling for baseline, gender, education, surgery, drug, supplementation, physical activity, age, and hospitalization] and 2 [Using Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with distribution of Gamma & link of Log controlling for baseline, gender, education, surgery, drug, supplementation, physical activity, age, hospitalization, and food intake], with increases of 1.6 times (60%) and 1.52 times (52%), respectively. In terms of visuoconstruction and executive functioning, there was a significant increase after adjusting for model 1 (1.42 times or 42%). Attention also significantly improved after adjusting models 1 and 2 by 2.05 times and 2.0 times, respectively. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of certain foods included in the MIND diet are believed to protect brain function and reduce cognitive decline like: Green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, whole grains, and fish. This study suggests that MIND diet can significantly enhance total cognitive function, attention, executive functioning, and visuoconstruction abilities. The protocol for this study was also approved by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials on March 28, 2023, with registration reference IRCT20230105057054N1.