Association between MIND diet its components with endometriosis risk: secondary results from a case-control study

Endometriosis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease in women, which may advantage from potential lifestyle strategies for prevention, modification, or treatment of the condition. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the association between MIND diet and odds of endometriosis. This hospital-centered case-control research, enrolled individuals with endometriosis, diagnosed by a gynecologist, alongside healthy controls, between February to September 2021 in Tehran, Iran. The pattern of diet was assessed utilizing a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) encompassing 168 food items. Logistic regression models were employed to explore the potential connection between MIND diet and the probability of endometriosis. The analysis encompassed 105 subjects with endometriosis and 208 healthy individuals. After adjustment for potential confounders, it was observed that each one-unit increase in the MIND diet score was associated with a 47% lower odds of endometriosis (OR: 0.530; 95% CI: 0.421-0.666, p-value < 0.001). Also, in categorical association, the high adherence to the MIND diet, 83% lower odds of endometriosis were seen in the group by high adherence to the MIND diet (higher than mean), in comparision to the other group (OR: 0.175; 95% CI: 0.080-0.381, p-value < 0.001). Adhering to the MIND diet, rich in healthy components such as nuts, fish and vegetables and lower consumption of inflammatory foods, may potentially reduce the odds of endometriosis. Despite the promising findings, limitations should be considered, including the cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported dietary intake, and potential unmeasured confounding factors. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these results.