The role of the Mediterranean diet in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

作者：Chunyan Zheng, Qinqin Zhang, Fengli Liu, Guihong Qiu · 发表于：Frontiers in Nutrition · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fnut.2025.1654684 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Diet and metabolism studies、Diet, Metabolism, and Disease

The global metabolic disorder, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), significantly increases the risk of cognitive dysfunction, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Evidence shows that there is the same pathophysiological mechanism between T2DM and neurodegeneration (1)(2)(3)(4) . The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet)-a dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish, and olive oil, with low saturated fat intake-may improve cognitive dysfunction of T2DM. However, challenges such as the lack of a unified MedDiet definition and compliance standards make translational research difficult to operate. This opinion article summarizes the current understanding of the pathological mechanisms that link T2DM with cognitive dysfunction and evaluates the protective effects of the MedDiet. The aim is to inform therapeutic strategies that could delay or prevent cognitive decline associated with T2DM.Additionally, it analyzes the potential challenges related to implementing the MedDiet in the context of T2DM-associated cognitive impairment.Peripheral insulin resistance (IR) in T2DM disrupts central insulin signaling through various mechanisms, leading to neurodegeneration. Hyperinsulinemia, a characteristic feature of T2DM, reduces insulin passing through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by downregulating insulin receptors (5) . This process diminishes insulin availability in critical brain regions, such as the hippocampus and cortex (6) . Decreased...