Mediterranean Diet and the Metabolic Syndrome

The dietary advice was tailored to each patient on the basis of 3-day food records. The recommended composition of the dietary regimen was as follows: carbohydrates, 50% to 60%; proteins, 15% to 20%; total fat, less than 30%; saturated fat, less than 10%; and cholesterol consumption, less than 300 mg per day. Moreover, patients were advised to consume at least 250 to 300 g of fruits, 125 to 150 g of vegetables, and 25 to 50 g of walnuts per day; in addition, they were also encouraged to consume 400 g of whole grains (legumes, rice, maize, and wheat) daily and to increase their consumption of olive oil.

Patients consuming the control diet were given general oral and written information about healthy food choices at baseline and at subsequent visits but were offered no specific individualized program. However, the general recommendation for macronutrient composition of the diet was similar to that for the intervention group (carbohydrates, 50%-60%; proteins, 15%-20%; and total fat, \<30%).