Dietary polyphenols, metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors:

An observational study based on the DCH-NG subcohort

Publication Date:
2023-03-01

Institutions involved:

Edith Cowan University (Australia)
Danish Cancer Society Research Center
University of Naples Federico II
Karolinska Institutet
University of Barcelona

Participants:
676 Danish adults, average age 44. At the start, 11.6% had metabolic syndrome.

Duration:
12 months, with dietary recalls at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months

Dosage:
Participants consumed an average of 1,368 mg of polyphenols per day, grouped into four intake levels for analysis.

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Key Takeaways:

People who consumed the most polyphenols had nearly 50% lower risk of metabolic syndrome, lower blood pressure, better HDL levels, and improved vascular resilience.

From the authors: "Total polyphenol, flavonoid and phenolic acid intakes were associated with lower odds of MetS [Metabolic Syndrome].”

With 676 adults studied and strong statistical controls, the findings offer population-level validation of polyphenol-rich diet strategies.

Apple Poly Summary:

Why Is This Study Important? This 2023 study provides real-world evidence that higher polyphenol intake is associated with significantly lower odds of metabolic syndrome. It reinforces the role of dietary polyphenols — including those found in apples — in regulating blood pressure and cholesterol. For product developers and health communicators, it offers population-level validation of polyphenol-rich interventions.

In Plain English: People who ate more polyphenols — natural compounds found in fruits like apples — were less likely to have metabolic syndrome. They also had better blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This study shows that polyphenols may help protect your heart and metabolism.

For Medical Professionals: This prospective cohort study of 676 Danish adults found that higher intakes of total polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids were associated with significantly reduced odds of metabolic syndrome (OR ~0.50). These intakes also correlated with lower systolic blood pressure and higher HDL cholesterol. Dietary data were collected via repeated 24-hour recalls and analyzed using generalized linear mixed models.

Abstract:

Background and aims: Polyphenol-rich foods have beneficial properties that may lower cardiometabolic risk. We aimed to prospectively investigate the relationship between intakes of dietary polyphenols, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components, in 676 Danish residents from the MAX study, a subcohort of the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health–Next Generations (DCH-NG) cohort.

Methods and results: Dietary data were collected using web-based 24-h dietary recalls over one year (at baseline, and at 6 and 12 months). The Phenol-Explorer database was used to estimate dietary polyphenol intake. Clinical variables were also collected at the same time point. Generalized linear mixed models were used to investigate relationships between polyphenol intake and MetS. Participants had a mean age of 43.9y, a mean total polyphenol intake of 1368 mg/day, and 75 (11.6%) had MetS at baseline. Compared to individuals with MetS in Q1 and after adjusting for age, sex, lifestyle and dietary confounders, those in Q4 – for total polyphenols, flavonoids and phenolic acids–had a 50% [OR (95% CI): 0.50 (0.27, 0.91)], 51% [0.49 (0.26, 0.91)] and 45% [0.55 (0.30, 1.00)] lower odds of MetS, respectively. Higher total polyphenols, flavonoids and phenolic acids intakes as continuous variable were associated with lower risk for elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Total polyphenol, flavonoid and phenolic acid intakes were associated with lower odds of MetS. These intakes were also consistently and significantly associated with a lower risk for higher SBP and lower HDL-c concentrations.

Lanuza, Fabian, et al. “Dietary Polyphenols, Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: An Observational Study Based on the DCH-NG Subcohort.” Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, vol. 33, no. 6, 2023, pp. 1167–1178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2023.02.022.