Current Epidemiological and Clinical Evidence on the Relationship Between Mediterranean Diet and the Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome is a clustering of metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk factors (like visceral obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and hyperglycemia) that occur in individuals with impaired insulin resistance and subclinical inflammation. During the past years this syndrome has become one of the major public health threats worldwide. Growing evidence demonstrates that dietary patterns, such as Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, legumes, cereals and moderate intake of meat and its products, are beneficial to health, and, particularly, to many metabolic disorders. The aim of the present review is to focus on the current evidence that exist on the relationship between Mediterranean diet and metabolic syndrome's components, based on epidemiological and clinical findings.