Red but not white meat consumption is associated with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and lipid peroxidation in Brazilian middle-aged men

Background: The influence of diet on metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress are not completely known. Design: This cross-sectional study assessed the association of red meat and white meat consumption with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and lipid peroxidation in Brazilian middle-aged men. Methods: A total of 296 subjects (age: 50.5±5.0 years, body mass index: 25.8±3.5 kg/m2) were evaluated. Anthropometry, lifestyle features, blood biochemical parameters, diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, a lipid peroxidation marker (oxidized low-density lipoprotein) and triglycerides: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio were assessed. Dietary intake was estimated by a food frequency questionnaire. Results: The subjects included in the highest tertile red meat (≥81.5 g/d) and saturated fatty acid from red meat consumption (≥4.3 g/d) had higher occurrence of central obesity (nearly 60%, p<0.01), hypertriglyceridaemia (nearly 43%, p<0.01) and metabolic syndrome (35%, p0.05). Conclusions: Red meat consumption was cross-sectionally associated with the occurrence of central obesity, hypertriglyceridaemia, and metabolic syndrome as well as with higher homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, oxidized low-density lipoprotein concentrations and triglycerides:high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio. The content of saturated fatty acid from red meat consumption may be a factor that contributed to this relationship, while white meat consumption was not associated with metabolic syndrome and the assessed biomarkers. © The European Society of Cardiology 2013.