Vitamin B2 supplementation, curry consumption protective against MetS in women

For women, eating curry dishes and taking vitamin B2 supplements appear to reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS), a study suggests.

The study included 7,131 pre- and postmenopausal women aged ≥20 years at baseline. Researchers collected data on sociodemographic, lifestyles, family histories, food intakes, and serum heavy metal levels and MetS.

Compared with premenopausal women, those who were postmenopausal were at much greater risk of MetS. The risk of MetS rose by 33 percent per one-unit increase in serum cadmium in the postmenopausal group (odds ratio [OR], 1.33, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.72; p=0.028), and by 21 percent and 26 percent per one-unit increase in serum iron in the premenopausal (OR, 1.21, 95 percent CI, 1.09–1.33; p<0.001) and postmenopausal (OR, 1.26, 95 percent CI, 1.16–1.38; p<0.001) groups, respectively.

Moreover, every 1-percent jump in HbA1c level conferred a more than twofold increase in the risk of MetS both in the premenopausal (OR, 2.49, 95 percent CI, 1.97–3.16; p<0.001) and postmenopausal groups (OR, 2.79, 95 percent CI, 2.30–3.38; p<0.001).

Meanwhile, high curry consumption showed a protective effect on the risk of MetS (vs low curry consumption: OR, 0.60, 95 percent CI, 0.39–0.91; p=0.017) in the premenopausal group. In the postmenopausal group, each 1-mg increase in daily vitamin B2 intake reduced the risk by 45 percent (OR, 0.55, 95 percent CI, 0.32–0.94; p=0.028).

Additional studies are needed to examine interventions that may help reduce the risk of MetS associated with heavy metals and establish the effects of vitamins and curry consumption on MetS during menopause.