title: Dietary intakes of flavonols, flavones and isoflavones by Japanese women and the inverse correlation between quercetin intake and plasma LDL cholesterol concentration.
abstract: The intake of flavonols, flavones and isoflavones by Japanese women was calculated from our food-phytochemical composition table. The relationship between intake of these phytochemicals and various anthropometric and blood chemistry data was analyzed in a cross-sectional study. The subjects were 115 women volunteers, aged 29-78 y, living in the northern part of Japan. Each subject completed a 3-d dietary record and received a health check up, including urine and blood sampling for biochemical analysis. Total mean intakes of flavonoids (sum of flavonols and flavones) and isoflavones were 16.7 and 47.2 mg/d, respectively. The major source of flavonoids was onions (45.9%) and that of isoflavones was tofu (37.0%). Total intake of isoflavones exceeded that of other dietary antioxidants, such as flavonoids, carotenoids (3.5 mg/d) and vitamin E (8.2 mg/d), and was approximately one half of the vitamin C intake (109 mg/d). The total intake of flavonoids was inversely correlated with the plasma total cholesterol concentration (TC) (r = -0.236, P: < 0.05) and plasma LDL cholesterol concentration (LDL-C) (r = -0.220, P: < 0.05), after the adjustment for age, body mass index and total energy intake. As a single component, quercetin was inversely correlated with both TC (r = -0.261, P: < 0.01) and LDL-C (r = -0. 263, P: < 0.01). Among Japanese, flavonoid and isoflavone intake is the main component among nonnutrient phytochemicals with antioxidant potential in the diet. These results suggest that a high consumption of both flavonoids and isoflavones by Japanese women may contribute to their low incidence of coronary heart disease compared with women in other countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Science, Faculty of Applied Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya, Tokyo, 156-8502 Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimira
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimoi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kinae
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D005419:Flavonoids; D007529:Isoflavones; D014810:Vitamin E; D011794:Quercetin; D001205:Ascorbic Acid