Associations Between Coffee Consumption and the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Taiwanese Adults

Background/Objectives: Findings on the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and coffee consumption are conflicting. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a large Taiwanese cohort and aimed to investigate associations between coffee consumption and the risk of MetS and individual components of MetS. Data of 27,119 participants (17,530 females and 9589 males; mean age 55.0 ± 10.3 years) were obtained from the Taiwan Biobank from July 2011 to November 2019. Associations among coffee consumption (type, intake and frequency) with MetS and its components were examined with multivariable logistic regression analysis, which included the significant variables in univariable analysis. Coffee consumption was assessed according to frequency, type and intake. Results: The results showed an association between coffee consumption and a lower risk of MetS (odds ratio [OR], 0.875; p < 0.001). Significant associations were found between the consumption of black coffee (OR, 0.848; p < 0.001) and coffee with milk (OR, 0.848; p = 0.001) with a low risk of MetS, while coffee with creamer was not. Daily consumption of one or two cups (237–474 mL) (OR, 0.805; p < 0.001 and 0.887; p = 0.001, respectively) was significantly associated with a low prevalence of MetS, whereas daily consumption of three or more cups was not. In addition, the participants who drank coffee every day (OR, 0.811; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with a low prevalence of MetS, whereas those who only drank coffee weekly or monthly were not. Further, significant associations were found between coffee consumption with lower risks of hypertriglyceridemia (OR, 0.844; p < 0.001) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia (OR, 0.836; p < 0.001) but not with abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia or high blood pressure. Conclusions: The regular consumption of black coffee or coffee with milk was linked to a low prevalence of MetS and certain components. Longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.