Dietary diversity tied to lower risk of metabolic syndrome

A diverse diet seems to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, suggests a Japan study.

Baseline data from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort were used to conduct this analysis, which quantified the associations between dietary diversity and the risk of metabolic syndrome in the Japanese population.

A team of investigators recruited 75,332 individuals aged 35‒69 years for a baseline survey conducted from 2005 to 2014 and collected data on dietary intake and biometric measurements. They calculated the Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) from the data based on the food frequency questionnaire and did a multiple logistic regression analysis to explore the link between DDS and metabolic syndrome.

A high DDS showed an inverse association with metabolic syndrome (adjusted odds ratio, 0.83, 95 percent confidence interval, 0.76‒0.92). Similarly, a high DDS correlated with a lower likelihood of having a high BMI and hypertension.

On the other hand, DDS was not significantly associated with serum triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values.

“Promoting a diverse and balanced diet can be a potential strategy for mitigating the burden of metabolic syndrome,” the investigators said.

“With the increasing burden of metabolic syndrome, it is crucial to focus on lifestyle factors to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome,” they added.