Abstract
We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the relationship between milk and dairy product consumption by Japanese adults and the development of metabolic syndrome. The subjects were employees working for four groups of milk and dairy product manufacturing companies and their families (aged 20-69 yr). We sent self-administered questionnaire forms to them by post, requesting them to answer the questions on the forms. Responses were collected from 3,252 non-smoking men, 3,296 non-smoking women and 2,111 smoking men, and subjected to analysis. Eighteen percent of non-smoking men were identified as having some form of metabolic syndrome symptoms and having access to “positive support” (through consultation provided by doctors, national registered dietitians, public health nurses, etc. on a continuous basis) to alleviate their conditions, while non-smoking women who measured 80 cm or more around the waist and who were identified as having access to “positive support” to alleviate their metabolic syndrome symptoms accounted for 10%. The total respondents were classified into quartiles, according to their volumes of milk and dairy product consumption. When the ratio of metabolic syndrome sufferers in the group consuming the lowest amount of milk and dairy products was regarded as 1, the ratios in the other three groups were significantly lower among non-smoking women as they consumed more milk and dairy products, while non-smoking men showed a similar trend. Our findings indicate that milk and dairy product consumption may be useful for prevention of metabolic syndrome in non-smokers.
