Background: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the longitudinal association of total polyphenol and its main four subclasses intake with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components.
Methods: The present prospective study was conducted on 1265 Tehranian adults, aged 19-74 years. Usual dietary intake was evaluated using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. MetS was defined using NCEP ATP III guidelines. Intakes of total polyphenol and its four main subclasses, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and lignans, were estimated using Phenol-Explorer database.
Results: Median (interquartile range [IQR]) of total polyphenol intake and its subclasses, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, and stilbenes, was 1422 (967-2137), 69.5 (45.5-99.8), 75.7 (52.2-115), 3.8 (1.9-6.9), and 0.2 (0.1-0.5) mg/day, respectively. After adjustment for confounding factors, participants in the highest tertile of flavonoid intake had 31% lower risk of developing MetS (odds ratio [OR] 0.69; 95% CI 0.48-0.98) and 36% lower risk of hypertriglyceridemia (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.48-0.99) during 6 years of follow-up. Total polyphenol intake and other subclasses of polyphenol were not associated with MetS and its components.
Conclusion: Higher intake of flavonoids was inversely associated with risk of developing MetS and hypertriglyceridemia in a Tehranian population.
Keywords: flavonoids; metabolic syndrome; polyphenols.