Association between lignan intake from different types of plant-based foods and obesity indicators in the Netherlands

Abstract This study aimed to assess whether lignan intake is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in a Dutch population. Data on lignan content of foods was extracted from a lignan database of Dutch plant-based foods and complemented with three other references to estimate lignan intake in 1012 Dutch men and women participating in the NQ-plus prospective cohort study. The association between lignan intake and BMI and waist circumference was assessed using linear regression analysis. Three multivariate models were used to investigate the association of BMI and waist circumference with total lignan intake. Model 1 included adjustments for lifestyle variables, in model 2 adjustments were made for energy intake and nutrients, and in model 3 these adjustment were combined. The median lignan intake was 3226 µg/day (mean 4763 µg/day, SD 5386 µg/day). Lignan intake was strongly skewed towards higher values, ranging from 40-50500 µg/day. The major sources of lignans were bread, which contributed 52%, nuts, seeds, and snacks (21%), and vegetables (12%) to the lignan intake. After adjustments lignan intake was associated with a lower waist circumference (-0.93 cm, 95 % CI: -0.88; -1.00). No association between BMI and lignan intake was observed. A higher lignan intake is significantly associated with a smaller waist circumference in Dutch adults. To what extent a high lignan intake can reduce waist circumference in obese patients or can prevent onset of abdominal obesity remains to be tested in future intervention studies.