The Association between Consumption of Bitter-taste Vegetables in Asian Culture and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Children: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Childhood obesity has been escalating in Asian countries in recent decades resulting in the younger age groups being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Brassicaceae vegetables that contain high bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties might be beneficial in preventing MetS. This narrative review presents; (a) the consumption of vegetables in the world population and the availability of bitter-taste vegetables in Asian culture; (b) the interaction between food preference and childhood obesity and (c) potential associations between the consumption of bitter-taste vegetables in Asian culture and clinical outcomes. A number of online searches were conducted for publications in the English language from the year 1990 until October 2022 with a two-step search strategy adopted: initial searches were conducted in four electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library), and a second search using all identified keywords and indexes by including two additional electronic databases (ProQuest and Scopus). The keywords included “bitter”; “vegetables”; “weight status”; “metabolic profile”, “Asia”, “culture”, and “children”. Brassica vegetables in Asian countries are abundantly available and commonly consumed, yet the overall vegetable intake in children was inadequate or below the recommended daily intake. Childhood obesity can be influenced by their preference for and consumption of bitter-taste vegetables, and excessive body weight is associated with the risk of developing MetS. It remains inconclusive whether brassicas vegetables play a dominant role in the group. Future longitudinal studies to investigate the taste sensitivity, vegetable acceptance, and effect of brassicas vegetables on the risk of MetS in Asian children are warranted.