The effects of MIND diet on depression, anxiety, quality of life and metabolic and hormonal status in obese or overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomised clinical trial

Abstract Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder in women of reproductive age, associated with increased risks of metabolic disorders, depression and reduced quality of life. This study examined the impact of the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet on mental health, PCOS-related quality of life (PCOSQ), anthropometric indices, hirsutism, and metabolic/hormonal parameters in women with PCOS. Total of 52 women with PCOS, aged between 18 and 45 years, were randomly assigned to either the low calorie MIND diet group or the control group. Anthropometric data, depression and anxiety scores, serum levels of gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone [LH], follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]), PCOSQ, and Ferriman-Gallwey score were evaluated before and after the intervention. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and at the end of the 8-week follow-up period. After 8 weeks, the MIND diet significantly reduced depression ( β –3·03; 95 % CI: [–5·36, –0·70]; P = 0·011) and anxiety ( β –3·54; 95 % CI: [–6·60, –0·49]; P = 0·024) scores compared with the control group. The MIND diet group exhibited significant increases in the emotion ( β 0·63; 95 % CI: [0·18, 1·08]; P = 0·007) and body hair ( β 0·65; 95 % CI: [0·03, 1·28]; P = 0·04) domains of the PCOSQ compared to the control group. The changes in other parameters did not show significant differences between the two groups. Both the MIND diet and control groups showed improvements in weight and BMI, with a slight advantage for the MIND diet group. These findings suggest that the MIND diet may be beneficial for improving mental health and some aspects of PCOSQ in women with PCOS.