Phytonutrient Intakes By Adults Meeting Fruit And Vegetable Recommendations Vs. Adults Not Meeting Recommendations

The purpose of this study was to estimate intakes of 14 phytonutrients by US adults meeting MyPyramid recommendations (MTRS) or not meeting recommendations (NMTRS) for fruit and vegetable (F&V) servings, and to identify the key dietary sources of each phytonutrient. The phytonutrients in the analysis included allicin, anthocyanidins, EGCG, ellagic acid, hesperitin, isoflavones, isothiocyanates, lutein/zeaxanthin, lycopene, quercetin, resveratrol (excluding wine), alpha‐carotene, beta‐carotene, and beta‐cryptoxanthin. All intakes were based on dietary recall data collected in NHANES 2003–2006. Age/sex‐specific recommendations in MyPyramid were used to define MTRS and NMTRS. Data from USDA and the published literature were used to estimate 2‐day average phytonutrient intakes. With the exception of EGCG and isothiocyanates, mean and median intakes by MTRS were approximately 1.5 to 3 and 2 to 13 times higher than intakes by NMTRS, respectively, with comparable energy adjusted results. Results from the analysis of key food sources (calculated as % of total intake) indicate that differences in phytonutrient intakes between MTRS and NMTRS may be attributed to differences in both the type and amounts of phytonutrient‐containing foods consumed. Research supported by Nutrilite Health Institute.