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Estimated intake and major food sources of flavonoids among Australian adolescents

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Abstract

Purpose

The consumption of dietary flavonoids from plant-based foods has been related to the prevention of multiple chronic diseases. However, intake data from adolescents are lacking. We aimed to characterise the intake and major sources of dietary flavonoids among Australian adolescents and investigate changes during adolescence.

Methods

The Raine Study Gen 2 participants completed a 212-item food frequency questionnaire at age 14 years and 17 years, with repeated measures for n = 883. Items were assigned a content for six flavonoid subclasses using the Phenol-Explorer database, which were summed for total flavonoid intake. Daily intakes and sources of flavonoids and flavonoid-subclasses were determined, and change assessed between 14 and 17 years, for males and females.

Results

Major food sources of flavonoids and each subclass were similar at 14 and 17 years, with fruit juice the major contributor to total flavonoid intake at both time points (providing 44% and 38%, respectively). Citrus flavanones (predominantly hesperitin) were the major subclass at 14 years, while tea flavan-3-ols were a major subclass (predominantly procyanidin dimers) at 17 years. The mean intake of total flavonoids at 14 years was 210 ± 133 mg/day, reducing by 5% (10 mg/day) by 17 years. Females consumed a more flavonoid-dense diet compared to males (104.5 ± 71.5 mg/1000 kcal vs 80.4 ± 50.3 mg/1000 kcal per day; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This study provides a comprehensive estimation of flavonoid intake and their major food sources in a sample of Australian adolescents, which may be useful in the development of practical dietary recommendations.

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Abbreviations

CSIRO:

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

FCDB:

Food Composition Database

FFQ:

Food Frequency Questionnaire

FSANZ:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand

NNS:

National Nutrition Survey

NUTTAB:

Nutrient Tab

RM ANOVA:

Repeated measures analysis of variance

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to The Raine Study participants and their families and thank The Raine Study team for cohort co-ordination and data collection. We also acknowledge the NHMRC for their long term contribution to funding the study over the last 30 years.

Funding

We would like to acknowledge the NHMRC for their long term contribution to funding the study over the last 30 years, specifically the following grants for their contribution at the Gen2-14 and Gen2-17 timepoints: Sly et al. ID 211912; Stanley et al. ID 003209; Stanley et al. ID 353514. We would like to recognise the following Institutions for providing funding for core management of the Raine Study: The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Telethon Kids Institute, Women and Infants Research Foundation, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University, The University of Notre Dame Australia and Raine Medical Research Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS, 7250, Australia

    Katherine Kent

  2. School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Karen Charlton

  3. Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Karen Charlton

  4. School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia

    Therese O’Sullivan

  5. Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia

    Wendy H. Oddy

Authors
  1. Katherine Kent
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  2. Karen Charlton
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  3. Therese O’Sullivan
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  4. Wendy H. Oddy
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Contributions

Conceptualization: KK, WO; methodology: KK, WO, KC, TO; data analysis: KK; writing—original draft preparation: KK; writing—review and editing: KK, WO, KC, TO.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katherine Kent.

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The authors declare that they do not have any conflict of interest.

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Kent, K., Charlton, K., O’Sullivan, T. et al. Estimated intake and major food sources of flavonoids among Australian adolescents. Eur J Nutr 59, 3841–3856 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-020-02218-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-020-02218-z

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