Nutr Res Pract.  2023 Aug;17(4):735-746. 10.4162/nrp.2023.17.4.735.

Relationship between metabolic syndrome and intake of ultraprocessed foods in Korean adults: based on 6th and 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2018)

• Kim C
• Na W
• Choi S
• Hwang SH
• Sohn C

• KMID: 2545188
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2023.17.4.735

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
Metabolic syndrome is closely associated with lifestyle factors, including diet and nutritional intake. Modern trends show a shift in food consumption from healthy home-cooked meals to processed and instant foods. Therefore, this study analyzed the association between ultra-processed food intake and the development of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults based on the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2013–2018.
SUBJECTS/METHODS
The subjects of this study were 17,414 adults aged 19–80 years who participated in the 6th–7th KNHANES. Processed food was classified into four categories, NOVA1 to NOVA4, using 24-h recall data. The higher the NOVA category, the more processed the food. Statistical analysis was conducted using logistic regression to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to the consumption of ultra-processed foods.
RESULTS
Among the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62–0.85; Q4 vs. Q1, P-trend < 0.001) and high triglycerides (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72–0.94; Q4 vs. Q1, P-trend < 0.001) showed a correlation with the percentages of energy consumed from ultra-processed foods. The OR for metabolic syndrome, according to the percentages of energy consumed from ultra-processed foods, is shown only for men. The OR showed that the percentages of energy consumed from ultraprocessed foods were associated with increased metabolic syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that consumption of ultra-processed foods raises the risk of metabolic syndrome especially among men. To prevent metabolic syndrome, it is necessary to prepare appropriate dietary guidelines for Korean adults.

Keyword

Metabolic syndrome; fast foods; nutrition assessment; public health; Korea

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Flow chart representing the selection of study participants.NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; BMI, body mass index; hs-CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.

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