Abstract
Introduction: Diets are useful according to the nutritional deficiencies or needs of each individual in terms of health and aesthetics in general. In this sense, the search for weight loss is one of the constants that impact the population to solve the problem of obesity. It is important to highlight the association of MetS (metabolic syndrome) with cardiovascular diseases, increasing overall mortality by approximately 1.5 times and cardiovascular mortality by approximately 2.5 times the Mediterranean diet is the main therapeutic proposal for the treatment of MetS. Objective: This study presented the Mediterranean diet as a therapeutic proposal for the treatment and prevention of metabolic syndrome and evaluated its effectiveness as a nutritional benefit in quality of life. Methods: The model followed for the systematic review was PRISMA. The search strategy was carried out in the databases PubMed, Embase, Ovid and Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Science Direct Journals (Elsevier), Scopus (Elsevier), and OneFile (Gale), from February to March 2025. The quality of the studies was based on the GRADE instrument and the risk of bias was analyzed according to the Cochrane instrument. Results and Conclusion: 142 articles were found. A total of 32 articles were assessed in full and 25 were included and developed in the present systematic review study. Considering the Cochrane tool for risk of bias, the overall assessment resulted in 18 studies with a high risk of bias and 21 studies that did not meet GRADE and AMSTAR-2. Most studies presented homogeneity in their results, with X2=92.3%>50%. It was concluded that the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, therefore, the dietary pattern described in the Mediterranean diet combined with physical activities can be used as a useful clinical tool in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. In addition, the suggested menu, with foods rich in fiber, is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular risk and, therefore, the Mediterranean diet is recognized as an agent for promoting health and preventing obesity. In this sense, it is clear that dietary factors can play a fundamental role both in the individual components and in the prevention and control of metabolic syndrome. Recent data associate the presence of metabolic syndrome with a lower consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Therefore, there is a close relationship between these foods and dietary fiber, and soluble fiber is probably more directly related to these effects.