Randomized Controlled Trial Effect of Short-Term MIND Diet Intervention on Hunger Hormones, Anthropometric Parameters, and Brain Structures in Middle-Aged Obese Women

The growing prevalence of obesity and its destructive effects on the hormone’s circulation and brain structures has attracted attention to specific dietary patterns. This trial aimed to examine the effect of short-term newly Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) pattern on anthropometric parameters, hunger hormones as well as brain structures in obese women. The study was a randomized restricted controlled trial in which we analyzed 37 healthy obese women with a mean age of 48 ± 5.38 years and mean Body Mass Index (BMI) 32 ± 4.31 kg/m 2 . Participants were randomly allocated to a hypocaloric modified MIND diet or a hypocaloric waiting list control diet and followed the protocols for three months. Differences in anthropometric and laboratory analysis, as well as brain structures, were determined at baseline and follow up. There was a more significant reduction in weight, BMI, percentage of body fat, waist circumference, and Leptin concentration in the MIND diet group compared to the control group ( ps <0.05). Despite a deceased in plasma levels of Ghrelin and GLP-1 in the control group, results have found a significant increase in these hunger hormones in the MIND diet group ( ps <0.05). Our results diminished to detect any differences in the whole and regional brain structures between two groups after three months follow up. Our trial for the first time demonstrated that a three-month MIND diet intervention could improve the potentially devastating effect of obesity on metabolic profiles and anthropometric parameters. However, we couldn’t find the MIND diet effect on brain structures.