Dairy consumption is inversely associated with the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults

This study explored the association between dairy food consumption and the risk of metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. The study sample comprised 4,862 Korean adults (≥ 19 years) who participated in the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Dairy food consumption was assessed using a food‐frequency questionnaire. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the joint interim statement of the International Diabetes Federation/American Heart Association. We found that adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for abdominal obesity and high fasting glucose were significantly lower among subjects in the highest (≥ once/day) than in the lowest (none or rarely) category of milk consumption after adjusting for potential risk factors (OR=0.68, 95 % CI: 0.50–0.93, P for trend=0.0314; OR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.65–1.03, P for trend=0.0233). The adjusted ORs for lower HDL cholesterol was 28 % lower among subjects in the highest as compared with subjects in the lowest category of yogurt consumption (OR=0.72, 95 % CI: 0.52–1.00, P for trend=0.0197). Furthermore, higher consumption of milk or yogurt was found to be significantly associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (OR=0.71, 95 % CI: 0.55–0.93, P for trend=0.0066; OR=0.71, 95 % CI: 0.48–1.05, P for trend=0.0067). High intakes of dairy foods may be associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome. Supported by Daegu University