title: Food sources of carbohydrates in a European cohort of adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the average consumption of carbohydrate-providing food groups among study centres of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Of the 27 redefined EPIC study centres, 19 contributed subjects of both genders and eight centres female participants only (men, women, after exclusion of subjects under 35 and over 74 years of age from the original 36 900 total). Dietary data were obtained using the 24-hour recall methodology using the EPIC-SOFT software. The major sources of dietary carbohydrate were identified, and 16 food groups were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 10 food groups contributing most carbohydrate were bread; fruit; milk and milk products; sweet buns, cakes and pies; potato; sugar and jam; pasta and rice; vegetables and legumes; crispbread; and fruit and vegetable juices. Consumption of fruits as well as vegetables and legumes was higher in southern compared with northern centres, while soft drinks consumption was higher in the north. Italian centres had high pasta and rice consumption, but breakfast cereal, potato, and sweet buns, cakes and pies were higher in northern centres. In Sweden, lower bread consumption was balanced with a higher consumption of crispbread, and with sweet buns, cakes and pies. Overall, men consumed higher amounts of vegetables and legumes, bread, soft drinks, potatoes, pasta and rice, breakfast cereal and sugar and jam than women, but fruit consumption appeared more frequent in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study supports the established idea that carbohydrate-rich foods chosen in northern Europe are different from those in the Mediterranean region. When comparing and interpreting diet-disease relationships across populations, researchers need to consider all types of foods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, SE-20502 Sweden. elisabet.wirfalt@smi.mas.lu.se
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wirfält
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McTaggart
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gullberg
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frasca
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panico
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Bueno-de-Mesquita
authors.forename: P H M
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Engeset
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Skeie
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Chirlaque
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amiano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lundin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mulligan
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Overvad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tjønneland
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Clavel-Chapelon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linseisen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nöthlings
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polychronopoulos
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Georga
authors.forename: U R
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Charrondière
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Slimani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005060:Europe; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates