|
TWO HAMBURGERS, AN ORDER OF FRIES, & METABOLIC SYNDROME TO GO, PLEASE!
Author: Michael O'Riordan
-from Heartwire- a professional news service of WebMD
January 28, 2008 - Results from a new study have confirmed what many have long suspected, that a Western diet, one rich in meat, refined grains, and fried foods, increases the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome [1]. Dairy consumption, on the other hand, appears to offer some protection against this cluster of cardiovascular risk-factor abnormalities.
"There have been a couple of prospective studies looking at different components of diet and the effect on metabolic syndrome, but this study extends things further as we looked at whole dietary patterns," lead investigator Dr Lyn Steffen (University of Minneapolis, MN) told heartwire. "Nobody eats just one food. With the Western diet pattern as a whole, a diet characterized by red and processed meat, fried food, and refined grains, as well low intakes of fruit and vegetables, fish, and whole grains, we were able to observe an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome."
The results of the study are published online January 22, 2008 in Circulation.
Fried foods also a major culprit
Speaking with heartwire, Steffen said that while dietary intake has been linked to various components of the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors defined by elevated measurements of waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose levels, triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the role of diet in the development of the syndrome as a whole is still undefined.
To look at the relationship between dietary intake and the metabolic syndrome, the investigators obtained data from 9514 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, excluding individuals with metabolic syndrome or cardiovascular disease at baseline. The group assessed food intake using a 66-item food frequency questionnaire and used this information to categorize dietary preferences as a "Western diet" or "prudent diet." The Western diet was heavy on refined grains, processed meat, fried food, eggs, red meat, and soda, but skimpy on fish, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables. Those categorized as adhering to a prudent diet ate plenty of vegetables, including cabbage, radish, broccoli, carrots, pumpkin, red peppers, and spinach, as well as fruit, fish, seafood, poultry, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
After nine years of follow-up, nearly 40% of the ARIC participants studied developed metabolic syndrome. After adjusting for various demographic factors, smoking, physical activity, and energy intake, the consumption of a Westernized diet was associated with an 18% increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, whereas Steffen said the prudent dietary pattern had a neutral effect on metabolic-syndrome development.
Further adjusting for the consumption of meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables, refined grains, and whole grains, the analysis showed that meat, fried foods, and diet soda were all individually associated with a risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Dairy consumption, on the other hand, appears to confer protection against developing the disorder.
(- edited for length only, quoted material unchanged @ webMD)
|
