Interaction between Physical Activity and Nuts Intake on Incidence of Components of Metabolic Syndrome: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

Introduction: The research results have shown that a healthy lifestyle can prevent the development of metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the association of nuts, as one of the components of a healthy diet, with components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and assess the modifying effect of physical activity (PA) on this association. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, the consumption of nuts by 1452 individuals participating in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) was examined using a validated food frequency questionnaire. The Cox regression model was used to determine the association between nuts and the risk of components of MetS. Also, the modifying effect of PA was assessed on this association using Cox regression. Results: Mean (SE) age and BMI at baseline were 36.5±13.3 and 25.6±4.5, respectively. The median intake of nuts was 18.8 g/per week. After adjustments for confounders, a significant inverse association was found between nuts and the risk of hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and abdominal obesity. Among participants with moderate and high PA levels, nuts (higher or lower than the median) reduced the risk of component of MetS. This association was not observed in participants with low PA levels. Conclusion: PA modifies the relationship between nuts intake and the risk of some components of MetS. However, no association was found between nuts intake and incidence of components of MetS at low PA levels.