Association Between Dietary Patterns and Different Metabolic Phenotypes in Japanese Adults: WASEDA'S Health Study

Kumpei Tanisawa; Tomoko Ito; Ryoko Kawakami; Chiyoko Usui; Takuji Kawamura; Katsuhiko Suzuki; Shizuo Sakamoto; Kaori Ishii; Isao Muraoka; Koichiro Oka; Mitsuru Higuchi

doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.779967

Association Between Dietary Patterns and Different Metabolic Phenotypes in Japanese Adults: WASEDA'S Health Study

Front Nutr. 2022 Jan 27:9:779967. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.779967. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Kumpei Tanisawa¹, Tomoko Ito^{2

3}, Ryoko Kawakami¹, Chiyoko Usui¹, Takuji Kawamura^{2

4}, Katsuhiko Suzuki¹, Shizuo Sakamoto⁵, Kaori Ishii¹, Isao Muraoka¹, Koichiro Oka¹, Mitsuru Higuchi¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Japan.
² Waseda Institute for Sport Sciences, Tokorozawa, Japan.
³ Department of Food and Nutrition, Tokyo Kasei University, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ Research Center for Molecular Exercise Science, University of Physical Education, Budapest, Hungary.
⁵ Faculty of Sport Science, Surugadai University, Saitama, Japan.

Abstract

Although many studies have reported that a posteriori dietary pattern is associated with metabolic health, there is little evidence of an association between dietary patterns and different metabolic phenotypes. The present study aimed to examine the association between major dietary patterns and different metabolic phenotypes (metabolically healthy non-obese [MHNO], metabolically unhealthy non-obese [MUNO], metabolically healthy obese [MHO], and metabolically unhealthy obese [MUO]) in middle-aged and elderly Japanese adults. This cross-sectional study enrolled 2,170 Japanese adults aged ≥40 years. The four different metabolic phenotypes were determined based on the presence of obesity, abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. The major dietary patterns were determined using principal component analysis based on energy-adjusted food intake. Two dietary patterns were identified: the healthy dietary pattern, which was characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, potatoes, soy products, mushrooms, seaweeds, and fish; and the alcohol dietary pattern, which was characterized by a high intake of alcoholic beverages, liver, chicken, and fish. The healthy dietary pattern was associated with the MHNO and MHO phenotypes (MUNO and MUO as reference groups, respectively), and the multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) in the highest quartile of healthy dietary pattern score with the lowest quartile as the reference category were 2.10 (1.40-3.15) and 1.86 (1.06-3.25), respectively. Conversely, the alcohol dietary pattern was inversely associated with the MHNO and MHO phenotypes, while the multivariate-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) in the highest quartile of the alcohol dietary pattern score with the lowest quartile as the reference category were 0.63 (0.42-0.94) and 0.45 (0.26-0.76), respectively. There were no significant interactions between sex and healthy/alcohol dietary patterns in the prevalence of the MHNO and MHO phenotypes. In conclusion, the present study's findings suggest that major dietary patterns are associated with different metabolic phenotypes in middle-aged and elderly Japanese adults. These findings provide useful evidence for maintaining metabolic health through diet regardless of obesity status.

Keywords: Japanese adults; alcohol dietary pattern; diet; healthy dietary pattern; metabolically healthy obese; metabolically unhealthy non-obese.