Maintaining a healthy body weight is central to the prevention and management of MetS. Virtually any calorie-restricted diet — irrespective of its macronutrient distribution or meal frequency — that the individual can adhere to has the potential to improve MetS risk factors.[1] To achieve significant improvement of MetS risk factors, a weight loss of at least 5% of initial body weight is recommended, with greater improvements reported with further weight loss.[2]
Regarding specific dietary patterns, the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in minimally processed plant foods and olive oil, has the most robust evidence of improving MetS risk factors and reducing the prevalence of MetS.[3][4] The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has also been shown to improve MetS risk factors, whereas a Western diet rich in red meat, saturated fatty acids, refined grains, and sugar is associated with an increased risk of MetS.[5]