The association of ≥20 alcoholic drinks per month with the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was consistent across ethnicities but was most striking in white men and women (ORs 0.35 and 0.22, respectively; P < 0.05). Alcohol consumption was significantly and inversely associated with the prevalence of the following three components of the metabolic syndrome: low serum HDL cholesterol, elevated serum triglycerides, high waist circumference, as well as hyperinsulinemia (P < 0.05 for all).