Metabolic syndrome (MetS) represents a cluster of risk factors for atherosclerosis and is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The role of diet in the etiology of MetS is poorly understood, especially among Asian subjects. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between diet and the number of MetS components among Japanese men (nÂŒ609) and women (nÂŒ631). Mean (s.d.) age and body mass index were 57.1 (12.1) years and 22.8 (2.8) kg m Ă2 for men and 55.5 (12.0) years and 22.0 (3.0) kg m Ă2 for women, respectively. Diet was assessed by a 3-day dietary record that included photographs: 16 nutrients, 11 food groups, and energy % of protein and dietary fat were selected as a dietary index. The definition of MetS was based on modified National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, and the number of clustering MetS components was calculated by adding the presence of each five MetS components. A total of 61 men (10.0%) and 46 women (7.3%) were determined to have MetS. After adjusting for age, energy intake, alcohol intake, smoking status and physical activity, a lower intake of vitamin B6 and dietary fiber in men, and lower intake of calcium, milk and dairy products and higher intake of cereal in women were related to the number of MetS components. These results suggest that some dietary factors were related to the number of MetS components among community-dwelling Japanese men and women. Keywords: cross-sectional study; dietary record; Japanese; metabolic syndrome INTRODUCTION Metabolic syndrome (MetS) represents a cluster of risk factors for atherosclerosis, including visceral obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia; MetS is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. 1 The National Nutrition Survey in Japan, a population-based study among 40-to 74-year-olds, revealed that 24% of men and 12% of women were strongly suspected of having MetS, and 27% of men and 8% of women were suspected of having MetS. 2 MetS has become a major public health challenge in Japan. 3 The pathophysiology of MetS appears to be largely attributable to insulin resistance with an excessive flux of fatty acids, 1 although this disorder presumably exists as a function of a complex interaction between environmental factors, including diet or physical activity and genetic factors. 4,5 Although dietary aspects have been linked to individual features of MetS, 6-8 the role of diet in the etiology of this syndrome is poorly understood. Asians have different lifestyle and genetic factors compared with Caucasians, 9,10 but only a few epidemiologic studies examining diet and MetS among Asians have been conducted. [11][12][13] The aim of this study was to examine the relations between diet and