Journal article
Differences in dietary intakes, food sources and determinants of total flavonoids between Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study
Catalan Institute of Oncology1
University of Cambridge2
University of Gothenburg3
Umeå University4
National Institute of Public Health and the Environment5
Imperial College London6
Lund University7
Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori8
University of Naples Federico II9
Human Genetic Foundation10
'Civic MP Arezzo' Hospital11
International Agency for Research on Cancer12
Hellenic Health Foundation13
CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública14
Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare15
Public University of Navarre16
German Cancer Research Center17
Cancer Research and Prevention Institute18
German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke19
Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health20
University of Oslo21
University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway22
Aarhus University23
National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark24
Division of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark25
Danish Cancer Society26
University of Oxford27
...and 17 moreA greater adherence to the traditional Mediterranean (MED) diet is associated with a reduced risk of developing chronic diseases. This dietary pattern is based on higher consumption of plant products that are rich in flavonoids. We compared the total flavonoid dietary intakes, their food sources and various lifestyle factors between MED and non-MED countries participating in the EPIC study.
Flavonoid intakes and their food sources for 35 628 subjects, aged 35–74 years and recruited between 1992 and 2000, in twenty-six study centres were estimated using standardised 24 h dietary recall software (EPIC-Softw). An ad hoc food composition database on flavonoids was compiled using analytical data from the United States Department of Agriculture and Phenol-Explorer databases.
Moreover, it was expanded to include using recipes, estimations of missing values and flavonoid retention factors. No significant differences in total flavonoid mean intake between non-MED countries (373·7 mg/d) and MED countries (370·2 mg/d) were observed. In the non-MED region, the main contributors were proanthocyanidins (48·2 %) and flavan-3-ol monomers (24·9 %) and the principal food sources were tea (25·7 %) and fruits (32·8 %).
In the MED region, proanthocyanidins (59·0 %) were by far the most abundant contributor and fruits (55·1 %), wines (16·7 %) and tea (6·8 %) were the main food sources. The present study shows similar results for total dietary flavonoid intakes, but significant differences in flavonoid class intakes, food sources and some characteristics between MED and non-MED countries.
These differences should be considered in studies about the relationships between flavonoid intake and chronic diseases.
Language: | English |
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Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Year: | 2013 |
Pages: | 1498-1507 |
ISSN: | 14752662 and 00071145 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1017/S0007114512003273 |
ORCIDs: | Bredsdorff, Lea and 0000-0001-6429-7921 |
European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Flavonoids Intake Phenolics SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being Sources
Adult Aged Diet Diet, Mediterranean Europe Female Food Analysis Fruit Humans Male Mediterranean Region Middle Aged Tea Wine