Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the background
intakes of total dietary fat, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) modulate the effects of dietary
saturated fatty acids (SFA) on metabolic syndrome (MetS). Material and
Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a
representative sample of 4 677 adults, aged 19 to 84 years. MetS was
defined according to the ATP III criteria. Results: Median intakes of
SFA, MUFA and PUFA were 9.5, 9.6 and 5.6% of total energy. High SFA
intakes were associated with higher prevalence of MetS, in both
individuals with higher and lower median intakes of total fat, MUFA and
PUFA. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that SFA intakes were
positively associated with the prevalence of MetS, independent of total
dietary fat, MUFA and PUFA intake