Plant food consumption and flavonoid intake in relation to cardiometabolic health

Research Gap<br>Although higher flavonoid intakes are linked to lower risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, few studies have examined their role in other cardiometabolic conditions such as liver and kidney disease, or in related factors like body composition.<br><br>Methods<br>Flavonoid intake was assessed at three levels: (1) dietary quality, using an additive flavodiet score (FDS), (2) food level, and (3) flavonoid subclass level.

Included analyses were based on data from the UK Biobank and the German Population-Based Recruitment for Genetics Research (PopGen) cohort. Four empirical studies addressed the research gap outlined above:<br><br>1.A large prospective cohort study on flavonoid intake and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the UK Biobank.<br>2.A cross-sectional study in PopGen examining potential mediation via the gut microbiome.<br>3.A prospective cohort study on flavonoid intake, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and mortality in participants with CKD in the UK Biobank.<br>4.A prospective study on flavonoid intake, bodyweight, and body composition in the UK Biobank.<br><br>Results<br>In large scale prospective studies in the UK Biobank, a higher FDS was associated with lower cardiometabolic disease risk including a lower risk of NAFLD, CKD, and a lower mortality among those with CKD.