Fruit and vegetable consumption and metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study
Bing Wang1, Xiao-Yan Qian2, Xiao-Fang Chen2
1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Background:
Evidence suggests inverse associations between fruit and vegetable intakes and metabolic syndrome (MetS), but data from Chinese populations remain limited, particularly regarding component-specific associations and whether associations vary according to concurrent intake of other major food groups.
Objective:
To examine associations of fruit and vegetable intakes with MetS and its individual components, and to explore whether these associations vary across co-consumption patterns of other major food groups.
Materials And Methods:
This community-based cross-sectional study included 5,107 adults from Suzhou, China. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Joint analyses evaluated combinations of fruit or vegetable intake with other major food groups.
Results:
Higher fruit and vegetable intakes were associated with lower odds of MetS. Comparing the highest with the lowest quartile, adjusted ORs were 0.82 (95% CI 0.69-0.97; p-trend = 0.02) for fruit and 0.84 (95% CI 0.70-0.99; p-trend = 0.03) for vegetables. In continuous analyses, ORs were 0.90 (95% CI 0.85-0.95) per 100 g/day increase in fruit intake and 0.91 (95% CI 0.85-0.98) per 200 g/day increase in vegetable intake. Fruit intake was inversely associated with multiple MetS components, whereas vegetable intake showed more selective associations. Joint analyses suggested that higher fruit or vegetable intake combined with lower red meat intake was associated with lower odds of MetS and several of its components.
Conclusion:
In this community-based sample of Chinese adults, higher fruit and vegetable intakes were associated with lower odds of MetS, with fruit showing broader inverse associations across individual components than vegetables. Exploratory joint analyses suggested that these associations varied according to co-consumption patterns of other major food groups, particularly red meat intake. Prospective studies are needed to clarify temporality and causality.
