Dietary Flavonoids, Copper Intake, and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Adults

The effects of flavonoids and copper (Cu) on metabolic syndrome (MetS) have been investigated separately, but no information exists about the joint associations between flavonoids and Cu on the risk of MetS in population studies. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 9108 people aged 20–75 years from the Harbin Cohort Study on Diet, Nutrition, and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (HDNNCDS) were included. Flavonoid intakes were calculated based on the flavonoid database created in our laboratory. Cu and other nutrient intakes were estimated using the Chinese Food Composition Table. Among all study subjects, a total of 2635 subjects (28.9%) met the diagnostic criteria for inclusion in the MetS group. Total flavonoids (fourth vs. first quartile, odds ratio (OR): 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66–0.90, P(trend) = 0.002) and Cu (OR 0.81, 90% CI: 0.70–0.94, P(trend) = 0.020) were inversely associated with the risk of MetS after adjusting for potential confounders. Higher flavonoid intake was more strongly associated with a lower risk of MetS with high levels of Cu intake (P(interaction) = 0.008). Dose–response effects showed an L-shaped curve between the total intake of five flavonoids and the risk of MetS. These results suggest that higher flavonoid intake is associated with a lower risk of MetS, especially under high levels of Cu intake.