Prospective study of total and various types of vegetables and the risk of metabolic syndrome among children and adolescents

BACKGROUND Data available on the association between consumption of various types of vegetables and metabolic syndrome (MetS) remain inconsistent. AIM To investigate the association between the intake of various types of vegetables and MetS among children and adolescents and MetS. METHODS The Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study cohort included 424 children and adolescents initially free of MetS. At the 3.6 year follow-up, 47 new cases of MetS were identified. A 168-item semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire was used to collect information about total and various types of vegetables consumed, including allium-, green leafy-, fruity-, root-, stalk-, starchy-, potatoes, and cabbage. MetS was defined according to the Cook et al[32] criteria. RESULTS The median (interquartile range) of total vegetable consumption was 217 (146-344) g/d. After adjustment for demographic characteristics and dietary intake, higher total- (≥ 350 g/d) and higher allium vegetable consumption (≥ 30 g/d) in the fourth quartile were significantly and inversely associated with risk of MetS compared to the first quartile. Consumption of green leafy vegetables in the third (21.4-38.3 g/d) versus the first quartile (≤ 13.5 g/d) demonstrated a significant inverse association with lower risk of MetS in children and adolescents; associations for other types of vegetables consumed were not significant. CONCLUSION Consumption of vegetables, especially allium and green leafy vegetables, in sufficient amounts may be beneficial in reducing the risk of MetS among children and adolescents.