Healthy Diet Mitigates Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome is a group of health risk factors that are associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  Factors include enlarged waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and high fasting glucose levels.  Tasnime Akbaraly, from University College London (United Kingdom), and colleagues examined the role of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), a dietary approach featuring white meats and fish, whole grains, and unsaturated fats, in mitigating Metabolic Syndrome.  Assessing 339 British office workers with metabolic syndrome participating in the Whitehall II study, the team found that those subjects who adhered to the AHEI diet were twice as likely to reverse the Metabolic Syndrome.  The researchers conclude that: “Our findings support the benefit of adherence to [Alternative Healthy Eating Index] dietary guidelines for individuals with [Metabolic Syndrome], especially those with central obesity or high triglyceride levels. “