Animal Protein Intake Is Positively Associated with Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Middle-Aged Korean Men.

Sangwon Chung,Jae Ho Park,Min-Yu Chung,Hyo-Kyoung Choi,Hyojee Joung,Jin-Taek Hwang

doi:10.3390/nu12113415

Abstract

Few studies have examined the relationship of protein intake by food source with metabolic syndrome in Korean adults, even though animal food intake has increased. This study examined the association between plant and animal protein intake and metabolic syndrome among middle-aged Korean adults. A total of 13,485 subjects aged 30–64 years were selected from the 2013–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Protein intake was assessed using 24-h dietary recall data and divided into quintiles. Men had a higher percentage of energy intake from animal protein (7.4%) than plant protein (6.9%). Men in the highest quintile group of animal protein intake had a higher prevalence of abdominal obesity (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.00–1.70), reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.07–1.90), and elevated fasting glucose (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01–1.74), after adjusting for covariates. Furthermore, stronger associations of animal protein intake with abdominal obesity were shown in men who consumed less than estimated energy requirements (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.11–2.31). Plant protein intake was negatively associated with increased blood pressure in men. Neither animal nor plant protein intakes were significantly associated with any of the metabolic syndrome risk factors in women. The results imply that lower animal protein intake may be a beneficial factor for metabolic syndrome management in middle-aged Korean men.

Highlights

Metabolic syndrome, defined as comorbidities of metabolic abnormalities including dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, and abdominal obesity, is a public health concern due to its link to increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality [1,2,3]
These disparate associations between protein intake and metabolic diseases seem to depend on the source of protein intake; for example, animal protein intake was positively associated with type 2 diabetes in a meta-analysis [14], whereas plant protein intake was negatively associated with high blood pressure in a prospective cohort study [15]
This study found that animal protein intake was positively associated with abdominal obesity, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and elevated fasting glucose regardless of fatty acid intake level in men, not in women, based on the results of data analysis of 13,485 middle-aged Korean adults who participated in the

Summary

Introduction

Metabolic syndrome, defined as comorbidities of metabolic abnormalities including dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance, and abdominal obesity, is a public health concern due to its link to increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality [1,2,3]. Several studies have found that long-term high protein intake is associated with an increased risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and overall mortality [12,13]. These disparate associations between protein intake and metabolic diseases seem to depend on the source of protein intake; for example, animal protein intake was positively associated with type 2 diabetes in a meta-analysis [14], whereas plant protein intake was negatively associated with high blood pressure in a prospective cohort study [15]

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