Flavonoid intake and risk of chronic diseases.

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Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Sep;76(3):560-8  

Flavonoid intake and risk of chronic diseases.

Knekt P, Kumpulainen J, Jarvinen R, Rissanen H, Heliovaara M, Reunanen A,

Hakulinen T, Aromaa A.

National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland. paul.knekt@...

BACKGROUND: Flavonoids are effective antioxidants and may protect against

several chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE: The association between flavonoid

intake and risk of several chronic diseases was studied. DESIGN: The total

dietary intakes of 10 054 men and women during the year preceding the

baseline examination were determined with a dietary history method.

Flavonoid intakes were estimated, mainly on the basis of the flavonoid

concentrations in Finnish foods. The incident cases of the diseases

considered were identified from different national public health registers.

RESULTS: Persons with higher quercetin intakes had lower mortality from

ischemic heart disease. The relative risk (RR) between the highest and

lowest quartiles was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.63, 0.99: P for trend = 0.02). The

incidence of cerebrovascular disease was lower at higher kaempferol (0.70;

0.56, 0.86; P = 0.003), naringenin (0.79; 0.64, 0.98; P = 0.06), and

hesperetin (0.80; 0.64, 0.99; P = 0.008) intakes. Men with higher quercetin

intakes had a lower lung cancer incidence (0.42; 0.25, 0.72; P = 0.001), and

men with higher myricetin intakes had a lower prostate cancer risk (0.43;

0.22, 0.86; P = 0.002). Asthma incidence was lower at higher quercetin

(0.76; 0.56, 1.01; P = 0.005), naringenin (0.69; 0.50, 0.94; P = 0.06), and

hesperetin (0.64; 0.46, 0.88; P = 0.03) intakes. A trend toward a reduction

in risk of type 2 diabetes was associated with higher quercetin (0.81; 0.64,

1.02; P = 0.07) and myricetin (0.79; 0.62, 1.00; P = 0.07) intakes.

CONCLUSION: The risk of some chronic diseases may be lower at higher dietary

flavonoid intakes.

PMID: 12198000 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]