Relationship between yoghurt consumption and components of metabolic syndrome: A cross-sectional study in the west of Iran

The association between total, low-fat, and whole-fat yoghurt consumption with the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components was assessed using a cross-sectional study for which 973 adults were selected using a randomised-multistage-cluster sampling method. Dietary intake was assessed using of a validated, 168 food-item, self-administrated, semi-quantitative food-frequency-questionnaire. Consumption (servings per week) of yoghurt among individuals with and without MetS were 4.5 ± 3.9, and 5.8 ± 5.9, respectively (p < 0.001), and for high-fat yoghurt were 2.1 ± 2.9, and 3.1 ± 5.8, respectively (p < 0.001). Yoghurt consumption was inversely associated with the risk of high triacylglycerol concentration after adjustment for confounders. After adjustment for potential confounders, by differentiation between low- and high-fat yoghurts, there was no significant association with MetS. However, low-fat yoghurt was significantly associated with abdominal adiposity and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG). Low-fat yoghurt consumption was associated with a lower risk of FPG and abdominal adiposity.