Dietary Legumes Intake and Metabolic Syndrome and Its Component in Adults

Epidemiologic data on the association between legume intakes and chronic disease are sparse. Our objective was to study the association between dietary legume intake and metabolic syndrome and its components.

This case-control study was conducted on 80 subjects newly diagnosed with metabolic syndrome as cases and 160 controls without the metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome in patients was defined based on Adult Treatment Panel III, and biochemical profiles, anthropometric and dietary intakes were documented. Intakes of legumes were determined in the two groups and subjects with metabolic syndrome were divided into four groups according to the cut-offs of legume intake among controls.

Mean age of subjects in the two groups was 41.4 years (range 25-55 y). Mean (±SD) intake of energy-adjusted legume intake was 137.8±13.6 and 130.0±12.2 g/wk (P<0.005) in controls and cases, respectively. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was lower in the highest as compared with the lowest quartile of legume intake, 16.7% and 46.7 respectively (P<0.005). After statistical control for confounders, decreases in triglyceride concentrations, fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, and increase in HDL-C concentration were observed across increasing quartile categories of legume intake. After control for confounding factors, subjects in the highest quartile of legumes intake had a lower chance of having the metabolic syndrome than did those in the lowest quartile (OR 0.27; 95%CI 0.08-0.91).

Dietary legume intake is inversely associated with the risk of having metabolic syndrome and some of its components.