Scientific Study

Limited data are available on the association of legumes and nuts consumption with health status in pediatrics. So, we assessed the relation of legumes and nuts intake with metabolic health status in Iranian adolescents. A random sample of overweight/obese adolescents aged 12 to 18 years was included in this cross-sectional study. Dietary intakes were gathered using a validated 147-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We measured metabolic indices including blood pressure, lipid profile, glycemic and anthropometrics indices. Two strategies were used for classification of adolescents to metabolically healthy obese (MHO) or unhealthy obese (MUO): International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and combination of IDF with Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Information on 203 overweight/obese adolescents (50.2% girls and 49.8% boys) with an average age of 13.98 (± 1.61) years and a mean weight of 73.48 (± 11.60) kg/m2 was evaluated. Based on the IDF and IDF/HOMA-IR definition, higher consumption of legumes and nuts consumption was related to a 66% and 61% decreased odds of MUO in crude model (OR = 0.34, 95%CI 0.17–0.69), (OR = 0.39, 95%CI 0.19–0.80); but in fully-adjusted model, these relations disappeared. After adjustment for potential cofounders, an inverse association was found between legumes and nuts consumption and odds of hyperglycemia (OR = 0.35, 95%CI 0.16–0.78). Moreover, although inverse significant associations were found between legumes and nuts consumption and odds of MUO in girls and overweight subjects in crude models, these associations disappeared after adjustment for all confounders. After taking potential confounders into account, no significant association was found between consumption of legumes and nuts and MUO in Iranian adolescents. The findings should be affirmed by further prospective studies. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32961-2