Low-carbohydrate diet and the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults

The association of low-carbohydrate diet with weight loss and the risk of cardiovascular diseases has recently been the focus of increasing research attention. However, studies on low-carbohydrate diet in the Asian population are limited. The present study was aimed to examine the association between low-carbohydrate diet and metabolic syndrome among Korean adults.

A total of 16,349 participants aged 30 years or older who participated in a 24-h dietary recall survey of the fifth and sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included in this study. Low-carbohydrate diet was evaluated using the low-carbohydrate-diet score, which was calculated based on the percentage of energy from carbohydrate, protein, and fat by sex. The association between the low-carbohydrate-diet score and metabolic syndrome was analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis. A low-carbohydrate diet was not associated with metabolic syndrome and its components such as waist circumference, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels. However, women in the highest decile of the animal- or plant-based low-carbohydrate-diet score showed a decreased risk of reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels, and men in the highest decile of the animal-based low-carbohydrate-diet score showed a decreased risk of reduced HDL-cholesterol levels than those in the lowest decile of the low-carbohydrate-diet score.

These findings indicate that, in Korea, a low-carbohydrate diet did not increase the risk of metabolic syndrome among adults who typically consume a high-carbohydrate low-fat diet. However, it may moderately decrease the risk of reduced HDL-cholesterol levels.