title: Effects of total vitamin A, vitamin C, and fruit intake on risk for metabolic syndrome in Korean women and men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The question of whether the consumption of antioxidants prevents and alleviates metabolic syndrome (MetS) by reducing insulin resistance remains controversial. The aim of this study was to assess whether the intake of vitamin A (including β-carotene), vitamin C, fruits, or vegetables was negatively associated with MetS in Korean adults aged ≥ 20 y.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study of 27,656 adults ≥ 20 y of age who participated in the 2007-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Daily intake of vitamin A and vitamin C was assessed by 24-h recall, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables was determined using a food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) for MetS were calculated for log2-transformed vitamin A and C intake values and for the interaction of sex with vitamin A and C intake, after covariate adjustment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Interactions were seen between total vitamin A and C intake and sex for MetS. With a twofold increase in total vitamin A and C intake in women, the ORs (95% confidence intervals) for metabolic syndrome were 0.942 (0.901-0.985) and 0.933 (0.883-0.987), indicating decreases of 5.8% and 6.7% in MetS, respectively. There were no equivalent decreases in men. Women in the second and highest tertiles of fruit intake exhibited 17.5% and 21.8% lower incidences of MetS, respectively, compared with women in the lowest tertile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intake of total vitamin A and C, as well as moderate and high fruit intake, may have alleviated MetS in women, but not in men, in a representative sample of the general South Korean population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Hoseo University, 165 Sechul-Ri Baebang-Yup Asan-Si Chungnam-Do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sunmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Cheonan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ham
authors.affiliation: Korea Industrial Health Association, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: Bklee@kiha21.or.kr.
authors.forename: Byung-Kook
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D044466:Asian People; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014675:Vegetables; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D014801:Vitamin A; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Antioxidants; Metabolic syndrome; Sex; Vitamin A intake; Vitamin C intake