Abstract
This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between the dietary diversity score (DDS) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among 410 Iranian adults aged 20 to 60 years. Dietary intake was evaluated using a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire and the DDS was calculated for each participant. The probability of having MetS (P for trend = .042) and some of its components such as abdominal adiposity (P for trend = .036), high blood pressure (P for trend = .029), and high serum triglycerides (P for trend = .038) decrease with enhancing quartile of the DDS. The increased diversity score of diets may be useful in preventing MetS and its metabolic features.