Association between total sugar intake and metabolic syndrome in middle-aged Korean men and women

There is increasing evidence emerging that suggests high sugar intake may adversely increase the incidence of chronic diseases. However, there are only a few related studies in Korea. Based on the current Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, this study examined whether total sugar intake above 20% of the total energy was a risk factor for metabolic syndrome in middle-aged Korean adults. This cross-sectional study involved 7005 adults (3751 men and 3254 women) aged 40–69 years, who participated in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), a large community-based cohort study. Daily total sugar intake was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. About 9% and 16% of the men and women, respectively, derived >20% of energy intake from total sugar. The males in this category had a significantly higher odds of obesity defined as having a BMI ≥ 25 (OR = 1.491, 95% CI = 1.162–1.914), low HDL-cholesterol (OR = 1.313, 95% CI = 1.038–1.660), and metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.332, 95% CI = 1.038–1.709) than those who received a lower proportion of energy intake from total sugar. These results suggest that high (>20%) energy intake from total sugar may be associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged Korean men.