Association Between Nut Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults

Although nuts have been reported to lower the risk of multiple diseases, evidence regarding their effect on metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Asian populations is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the association between nut consumption and the risk of MetS.

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018). MetS was defined according to the guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Responses to a single 24-hour dietary recall from 4,365 younger adults (19-39 years), 7,498 middle-aged adults (40-64 years), and 4,378 older adults (≥65 years) were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models.

In this study, based on the culinary definition, nuts included tree nuts and peanuts. Approximately 25% of Korean adults were found to consume nuts. After adjusting for confounding variables, including age, body mass index, total energy intake, household income, alcohol consumption, smoking, aerobic exercise, and energy from carbohydrates, nut consumption was associated with a lower risk of MetS among middle-aged men (40-64 years; odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-0.88), older men (≥65 years; OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53-0.98), and older women (≥65 years; OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53-0.89).

These results suggest that consuming nuts may exert protective effects against MetS in middle-aged Korean men and older Korean adults.