Metabolic syndrome (syndrome X) is characterised by the development of insulin resistance, abdominal weight gain and hyperlipidaemia, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Lifestyle choices are known to be contributory factors in the development of metabolic syndrome. Research1 published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2004 investigated the diets of 1181 individuals in order to examine the dietary factors associated with metabolic syndrome. The results showed that intakes of fruit, fruit juices and vegetables were higher in subjects who had no risk factors for metabolic syndrome (abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridaemia, low, HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure or high fasting glucose) compared to those that showed 1 to 2 risk factors. Intakes of sugar sweetened drinks were lower in subjects who had no risk factors for metabolic syndrome compared to those that showed ≥3 risk factors.
The consumption of fruit and vegetables appears to be protective of metabolic syndrome when factors such as age, total energy intake, body mass index and physical activity are controlled for. Plant foods contain a many phytonutrients that have been shown to have beneficial effects on health, the most important group of which is the polyphenols. Evidence suggests that polyphenols are protective of a number diseases including cardiovascular disease, perhaps because of antioxidant effects, because they regulate genes or because they decrease inflammation. Consumption of sugar sweetened drinks may be associated with an increase risk of metabolic syndrome because sugar (sucrose) contains fructose. The fructose component of the sucrose molecule has been linked to increased de novo lipogenesis, raised circulating levels of VLDL-triglycerides and the development of insulin resistance which may be a cause of metabolic syndrome.
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