USA: Two Hamburgers, An Order Of Fries, And The Metabolic Syndrome To Go, Please!

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (The Heart Wire), January 22, 2008: Results from a new study have confirmed what many have long suspected — that a Western diet, one rich in meat, refined grains, and fried foods, increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Dairy consumption, on the other hand, appears to offer some protection against this cluster of cardiovascular risk-factor abnormalities. "There have been a couple of prospective studies looking at different components of diet and the effect on metabolic syndrome, but this study extends things further as we looked at whole dietary patterns," lead investigator Dr Lyn Steffen (University of Minneapolis, MN) told heartwire. "Nobody eats just one food. With the Western diet pattern as a whole, a diet characterized by red and processed meat, fried food, and refined grains, as well low intakes of fruit and vegetables, fish, and whole grains, we were able to observe an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome." The results of the study are published online January 22, 2008 in Circulation. By Michael O'Riordan Copyright© 1999-2008 by WebMD.