Dietary intake of total polyphenols and the risk of all-cause and specific-cause mortality in Japanese adults: the Takayama study

Abstract

Purpose Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated the health benefits of polyphenols, but the associations between polyphenol intake and mortality including total and major causes of death remain unclear. We investigated the associations between subjects' total polyphenol intake and their mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and other causes of death in a population-based cohort study in Japan. Methods A total of 29,079 residents of Takayama City, Japan were analyzed. Their dietary intake was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in 1992. Mortality was ascertained over the subsequent 16 years. The dietary polyphenol intake was calculated by matching the subjects' food consumption data with our original polyphenol content database. Results A total of 5339 deaths occurred during the follow-up. After multivariable adjustment, the highest quartile of total polyphenol intake compared with the lowest quartile was significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.82-0.99, p trend = 0.003). The subjects in the highest quartile showed significantly lower CVD mortality compared to those in the lowest quartile, and among the types of CVD mortality, a strong inverse association was observed for stroke mortality. Inverse associations were also observed for mortality from other causes, specifically digestive disease. The total polyphenol intake was not significantly associated with the risk of cancer mortality. Conclusions The results of this prospective study indicate that dietary total polyphenol intake in Japanese is inversely associated with all-cause mortality and mortality from cardiovascular and digestive diseases.

The Impact of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns on Cancer-Related Outcomes: A Rapid Review and Meta-Analysis

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“…Dietary intake of polyphenols is associated with a decreased risk of T2DM, metabolic syndrome, risk of ischemic stroke, non-fatal cardiovascular events risk, and risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease [ 254 ]. The Takayama study, consisting of over 29,000 Japanese individuals, found significantly lower CVD mortality in subjects with the highest polyphenol intake, as compared to those in the lowest quartile [ 255 ]. Inverse associations also existed for mortality from digestive diseases.…”

“…Inverse associations also existed for mortality from digestive diseases. Polyphenols in this population were mainly derived from beverages such as green tea and coffee [ 255 , 256 ]. Consumption of proanthocyanidin-rich foods has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic kidney insufficiency and renal disease [ 257 ].…”