Coffee consumption reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Consumption of certain subgroups of polyphenols, which are included in coffee, red wine, green leafy vegetables, and olives, reduced overall as well as cardiovascular mortality. The main effects were on methoxyphenols, alkylmethoxyphenols, and methoxycinnamic acids.Researchers from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the University of Lyon and the University of Zaragoza evaluated the effect of polyphenols on overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality and cancer. The findings were published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.
The researchers found that people who consumed the highest amounts of certain subgroups of polyphenols in their diet had on average a 20 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with those who consumed the lowest amounts of the same substances. For example, consuming large amounts of dihydroflavonols reduced the risk of overall mortality by 15%, flavonols by 21%, and methoxyphenols by 25%. Tyrosols reduced the likelihood of all-cause mortality by 20%, alkylmethoxyphenols by 26%, hydroxycinnamic acids by 21%, and hydroxyphenylacetic acid by 8%.
Predominantly the reduction in overall mortality was due to a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease. For example, consuming large amounts of methoxyphenols reduced the risk of cardiovascular death by 42% and alkylmethoxyphenols by 41%. Hydroxycinnamic acids reduced this probability by 37% and hydroxyphenylacetic acid by 31%.
The effect of polyphenols on cancer mortality could not be identified.
The study included 12,161 people over the age of 18. The follow-up time was 12.5 years. Before the study began, scientists collected a detailed nutritional history of all participants. A Phenol-Explorer database was used to establish levels of polyphenol intake of different groups.
During the whole period of observation 967 deaths from all causes were recorded, including 219 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 277 deaths from cancer. The effects of flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and lignans on mortality were evaluated. The main sources of polyphenols in these subgroups were red wine, green leafy vegetables, olive oil, green olives and coffee. Coffee is a major source of methoxyphenols, alkylmethoxyphenols and hydroxycinnamic acids.
Source: Polyphenol intake and mortality: A nationwide cohort study in the adult population of Spain - Clinical Nutrition (clinicalnutritionjournal.com)