Systemic inflammation as a mediator between food preferences and metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study

Both dietary preferences and systemic inflammation are associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS); however, the role of inflammation in the association between dietary preferences and MetS remains largely unclear.

A total of 33,728 participants were included from the Henan Rural Cohort Study (n = 39,259). Food preferences were collected using a questionnaire. Generalized linear models were used to investigate the independent and joint associations of food preferences, specifically for sour or spicy foods, and inflammatory biomarkers [such as systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV)] with MetS prevalence. Furthermore, mediation analysis was conducted to explore the extent to which inflammation statistically accounted for the associations between food preferences and MetS.

Participants with a mild or moderate-to-heavy preference for sour/spicy foods had a higher risk of developing MetS compared to those who disliked these flavors, as indicated in the final model. Similarly, each unit increase in natural log-transformed SII, SIRI, and PIV values was associated with an increased risk of MetS, with corresponding odds ratios (ORs) of 1.351, 1.280, and 1.419, respectively. Individuals who had high levels of inflammation and mild-to-heavy sour/spicy food preferences exhibited the highest risk of MetS, compared to those with low levels of inflammation and a dislike for sour/spicy foods. Furthermore, the quantified statistical analysis revealed that the associations between food preferences and MetS, explained by inflammatory indicators, ranged from 5.3 to 14.6%.

Both sour/spicy food preferences and elevated inflammatory indicators are independently and jointly associated with an increased risk of MetS. Systemic inflammation indices statistically accounted for part of the observed association, suggesting that systemic inflammation is a potential mediator of the link between food preferences and MetS.