Dietary Flavonoid Intake Is Negatively Associated with Anthropometric Risk Factors for Chronic Disease in Some Population Subgroups But Not Others: Results from What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007–2010

Abstract

Flavonoids, bioactive compounds found in plants, are considered beneficial for human health. Whereas favorable associations between flavonoid intakes and anthropometric measures that are risk factors for chronic disease have been found in various studies, little research has examined whether similar associations exist in the U.S. population overall or in specific racial/ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether flavonoid intake is related to body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in a large, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Data from one 24‐hour recall for 5,378 males and 5,480 non‐pregnant, non‐lactating females age 20 years and over participating in What We Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES 2007–2010 were analyzed. Intakes of total flavonoids and six flavonoid classes (anthocyanidins, flavan‐3‐ols, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, and isoflavones) were determined by applying the recently released, comprehensive database Flavonoid Values for USDA Survey Foods and Beverages 2007–2008. The few plant‐based foods/beverages that were new in the 2009–2010 survey were assigned the flavonoid profile of the most similar 2007–2008 item. For total flavonoids and for each class, individuals were divided into four categories of intake, and trends in BMI and WC were determined using orthogonal polynomial contrasts with adjustment for confounding variables. For all adults age 20 years and over, negative trends in both BMI and WC were found with increasing category of intake of total flavonoids, anthocyanidins, flavan‐3‐ols, and flavanones (p<0.001). Identical trends were seen among men, but only anthocyanidins and flavanones were inversely associated with BMI and WC among women. No significant associations were found between anthropometric measures and intakes of flavones, flavonols, or isoflavones. Among non‐Hispanic (NH) whites (both genders together), inverse associations were found between WC and total flavonoid intake and between both BMI and WC and intakes of anthocyanidins, flavan‐3‐ols, and flavanones. Among Hispanics, inverse associations were found between both BMI and WC and anthocyanidin intake. Among NH blacks, no relationships were identified between anthropometric measures and flavonoid intakes. Negative associations between flavonoid intake and BMI and WC are not uniform across flavonoid classes, gender, or race/ethnicity. The finding of significant negative associations between flavonoid intakes and BMI and WC in some populations but not others suggests that further examination by race/ethnicity of intake of flavonoids and flavonoid‐containing foods/beverages might contribute to understanding of disparities in chronic disease occurrence.Support or Funding InformationARS, USDA