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. 2011 May;34(5):1225-7.
doi: 10.2337/dc10-1221. Epub 2011 Mar 16.

Vegetarian dietary patterns are associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome: the adventist health study 2

Nico S Rizzo  1 , Joan Sabaté, Karen Jaceldo-Siegl, Gary E Fraser
Affiliations

Vegetarian dietary patterns are associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome: the adventist health study 2

Nico S Rizzo et al. Diabetes Care. 2011 May.

Abstract

Objective: The study objective was to compare dietary patterns in their relationship with metabolic risk factors (MRFs) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Research design and methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 773 subjects (mean age 60 years) from the Adventist Health Study 2 was performed. Dietary pattern was derived from a food frequency questionnaire and classified as vegetarian (35%), semi-vegetarian (16%), and nonvegetarian (49%). ANCOVA was used to determine associations between dietary pattern and MRFs (HDL, triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure, and waist circumference) while controlling for relevant cofactors. Logistic regression was used in calculating odds ratios (ORs) for MetS.

Results: A vegetarian dietary pattern was associated with significantly lower means for all MRFs except HDL (P for trend < 0.001 for those factors) and a lower risk of having MetS (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.30-0.64, P < 0.001) when compared with a nonvegetarian dietary pattern.

Conclusions: A vegetarian dietary pattern is associated with a more favorable profile of MRFs and a lower risk of MetS. The relationship persists after adjusting for lifestyle and demographic factors.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Dietary pattern and MRFs. Mean-centered values are shown with whiskers representing SE. ANCOVA was used in comparing risk factors stratified by dietary patterns. P values represent contrasts with nonvegetarian dietary pattern, which is the group of reference. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.001. P for trend was < 0.001 for each risk factor with the exception of HDL (P > 0.05). Adjustments were made for age, sex, ethnicity, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and dietary energy intake. BP, blood pressure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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