Dietary intake of plant polyphenols: Exploring trend in the Czech population

• Published in: Central European journal of public health Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 101 - 107
• Main Authors: Sedláček, Pavel, Bludovská, Monika, Plavinová, Iveta, Zavaďáková, Anna, Müller, Luděk, Müllerová, Dana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Czech Republic National Institute of Public Health 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Acids; Alcoholic beverages; Antioxidants; Apolipoproteins; Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular disease; Cereals; Cholesterol; Coffee; Colorectal cancer; Czech Republic; Diabetes; Diet; Diet - statistics & numerical data; Dietary intake; Disease prevention; Enzymes; Flavanols; Flavonoids; Food; Food consumption; Food intake; Food sources; Glucose; Health promotion; Homeostasis; Humans; Hydroxycinnamic acid; Ischemia; Kinases; Metabolism; Mortality; Oxidative stress; Phenolic acids; Phenols; Phytochemicals; Polyphenols; Polyphenols - administration & dosage; Polyphenols - analysis; Population (statistical); Population studies; Trends; Tumors; Czech Republic; non-communicable diseases; polyphenols; phytochemicals; dietary habits; prevention
• ISSN: 1210-7778; 1803-1048
• DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a7994

This study aimed to determine trend in polyphenol consumption in the Czech Republic during the last three decades. Additionally, it provides a brief overview of the beneficial effects of polyphenols in several body systems. Data from the Phenol-Explorer 3.6, a specialized database of polyphenolic substances, were assigned to the resources of the Czech Statistical Office on the consumption of food and beverages in the Czech Republic for the years 1989-2022. The average daily intake of polyphenols was determined by multiplying the average annual consumption of each type of food by the polyphenol content obtained from the database; results were given in milligrams of polyphenols per inhabitant and day. Since the food items in the data sources are not identical, it was necessary to create an extensive model of food categories. The current value of polyphenol intake is 1,673 mg per day per inhabitant; however, this level most likely reflects methodological underestimation. The favourable increase in dietary polyphenol intake in the Czech population - doubling, to be precise - which we observed from 1989 to 2007, has been replaced by the opposite trend in the last 15 years. The current intake of polyphenols corresponds to the level that was already achieved in 2004. Hydroxycinnamic acids (from the group of phenolic acids) are the most prevalent dietary polyphenols, followed by flavanols (from the group of flavonoids). The most frequent source of polyphenols in the Czech population are non-alcoholic beverages such as coffee, tea and juices, followed by fruits, cereals, and vegetables, respectively. Current trend of dietary polyphenol intake in the Czech population is slightly decreasing. This tendency, lasting since 2008, is indisputably negative. Plant polyphenols offer opportunities for inexpensive interventions in health promotion.