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Metabolic syndrome less prevalent in vegetarians
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In a new study, vegetarians had a 36% lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome compared with people who eat meat, poultry and fish.
Researchers for the Loma Linda University Adventist Health Study 2 found that while 25% of vegetarians had metabolic syndrome, the number rose significantly to 37% for semi-vegetarians and to 39% for non-vegetarians. Further, the link between a vegetarian diet and metabolic syndrome persisted when the researchers adjusted for factors such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, physical activity, calories consumed, smoking and alcohol intake.
“In view of the high rate of metabolic syndrome in the United States and its deleterious health effects, we wanted to examine lifestyle patterns that could be effective in the prevention and possible treatment of this disorder,” Nico S. Rizzo, PhD, assistant professor and Adventist Health Studies Research fellow, Loma Linda University, said in a press release. “I was not sure if there would be a significant difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and I was surprised by just how much the numbers contrast.”
Influence of diet
The Adventist Health Study 2 is a long-term study of the lifestyle and health of about 100,000 Seventh-Day Adventist Christians across the United States and Canada. The new data from Rizzo and colleagues focused on a subgroup of more than 700 adults who were randomly sampled (mean age, 60 years).
Dietary patterns were derived from a food frequency questionnaire:
- 35% were vegetarians who reported consuming meat, poultry or fish less than 1 time per month;
- 16% were semi-vegetarians who reported consuming fish at any frequency and other meats less than 1 time per month; and
- 49% were non-vegetarians who consumed meat or poultry more than 1 time per month and the total of all meats more than 1 time per week.
According to the results, adhering to a vegetarian lifestyle was associated with significantly lower means for all metabolic risk factors except HDL (P<.001) and a lower risk for metabolic syndrome (OR=0.44; 95% CI, 0.30-0.64) when compared with a non-vegetarian lifestyle. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was highest in non-vegetarians (39.7%), intermediate in semi-vegetarians (37.6%) and lowest in vegetarians (25.2%; P<.001).
On average, vegetarians and semi-vegetarians were 3 years older than non-vegetarians. Despite being older, vegetarians had lower triglycerides, glucose levels, blood pressure, waist circumference and BMI. Semi-vegetarians also had a significantly lower BMI and waist circumference compared with those who ate meat more frequently.
Favorable role in lowering risk
The results indicate that lifestyle factors such as diet may play an important role in the prevention of metabolic syndrome, which can be a precursor to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke, Rizzo said.
“Our results confirm and build on previous studies on vegetarian diets and metabolic risk, and suggest that a vegetarian dietary pattern can play a favorable role in lowering the risk of metabolic syndrome,” the researchers concluded.
According to Gary Fraser, MD, PhD, principal investigator of the Adventist Health Study 2, “trending toward a plant-based diet is a sensible choice.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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