A cross sectional study on legumes intake in relation to hypertriglyceridemic waist phenotype and triglyceride glucose index in Iranian adults

Despite the clinical importance of the hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype as a practical predictive marker for cardiovascular disease and the prominence of the triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index as a surrogate of insulin resistance, previous studies have not adequately addressed the relation between these outcomes with legumes intake. This study explored these associations in an adult Iranian population. This cross-sectional study enrolled 528 Iranian adults (45.6% female) selected through a multistage cluster random-sampling approach. The HTGW phenotype was characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of elevated serum triglyceride concentrations and increased waist circumference. Fasting blood samples were collected to measure serum triglycerides and fasting blood glucose (FBG) concentrations. TyG index was calculated for each participant using fasting TG and FBG levels. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was applied to determine the dietary intakes of the study participants. Those in the highest tertile of legumes consumption had lower odds of HTGW phenotype in both crude (OR = 0.46; 95% CI 0.28–0.78) and fully adjusted model (OR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.17–0.61). In exploratory subgroup analyses, this association was evident in men and women as well as in subjects with overweight/obesity. Logistic regression revealed a graded pattern between each tertile increment of legumes intake and reduced odds of the HTGW phenotype. Moreover, more legumes intake was associated with better TyG index, even after adjustments for confounders. Higher intake of legumes was associated with decreased odds of HTGW phenotype and lower TyG scores among Iranian adults employed in school settings.