Fruit and vegetable consumption and metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Evidence suggests inverse associations between fruit and vegetable intakes and metabolic syndrome (MetS), but data from Chinese populations remain limited, particularly regarding component-specific associations and whether associations vary according to concurrent intake of other major food groups. Objective: To examine associations of fruit and vegetable intakes with MetS and its individual components, and to explore whether these associations vary across co-consumption patterns of other major food groups. Materials and methods: This community-based cross-sectional study included 5,107 adults from Suzhou, China. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Joint analyses evaluated combinations of fruit or vegetable intake with other major food groups. Results: Higher fruit and vegetable intakes were associated with lower odds of MetS. Comparing the highest with the lowest quartile, adjusted ORs were 0.82 (95% CI 0.69-0.97; Conclusion: In this community-based sample of Chinese adults, higher fruit and vegetable intakes were associated with lower odds of MetS, with fruit showing broader inverse associations across individual components than vegetables. Exploratory joint analyses suggested that these associations varied according to co-consumption patterns of other major food groups, particularly red meat intake. Prospective studies are needed to clarify temporality and causality.