Abstract
Background/Objectives:
To validate 24 h dietary recall of fruit intake by measuring the total 24 h excretion of 10 different flavonoids in 24 h urine during an intervention with free fruit at workplaces.
Subjects/Methods:
Employees at workplaces offering a free-fruit program, consisting of daily free and easy access to fresh fruit, and controls employees at workplaces with no free-fruit program were enrolled in this validation study (n=103). Dietary intake was assessed by using a 24 h dietary recall questionnaire at baseline and approximately 5 months later. Ten flavonoids, quercetin, isorhamnetin, tamarixetin, kaempferol, hesperetin, naringenin, eriodictyol, daidzein, genistein, and phloretin, were measured using HPLC–electrospray ionization–MS.
Results:
The 24 h urinary excretion of total flavonoids and the estimated intake of fruits were significantly correlated (rs=0.31, P<0.01). The dietary intake of citrus fruits and citrus juices was significantly correlated with total excretion of citrus specific flavonoids (rs=0.28, P<0.01), and orange was positively correlated with naringenin (rs=0.24, P<0.01) and hesperetin (rs=0.24, P<0.01). Phloretin in urine was correlated with apple intake (rs=0.22, P<0.01) and also with overall estimated intake of fruit (rs=0.22, P<0.01).
Conclusions:
This study shows that a 24 h dietary recall can be used as a valid estimate of the intake of fruits in agreement with an objective biomarker of fruit intake in free fruit at workplace interventions.
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Acknowledgements
This study is part of the ISAFRUIT project, funded by the European commission under the Thematic Priority 5-Food Quality and Safety of the 6th framework Program of RTD (Contract no. FP6-FOOD–CT-2006-016279). The views and opinions expressed in this publication are purely those of the writers and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission. We are grateful to the employees who participated in this study for the dedication to this study. Furthermore, we thank Anni Schou for the skilful technical assistance.
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Contributors: KSK contributed to the study design, carried out the study, was responsible for statistical calculations, interpreted the data, and wrote the manuscript; LB was responsible for determination of flavonoids in urine by LC–MS, contributed to manuscript editing, and carried out the study; SA carried out the study and contributed to manuscript editing; TC calculated the dietary intake and contributed to manuscript editing; SER contributed to study design and manuscript editing; LOD was responsible for study design and contributed to manuscript editing.
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Krogholm, K., Bredsdorff, L., Alinia, S. et al. Free fruit at workplace intervention increases total fruit intake: a validation study using 24 h dietary recall and urinary flavonoid excretion. Eur J Clin Nutr 64, 1222–1228 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.130
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.130
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