Research

Mixed

Higher habitual intake of specific flavonoid subclasses (anthocyanins, flavonoid polymers, and flavonols) is associated with reduced long-term weight gain in adults.

To support weight maintenance, prioritize foods rich in anthocyanins (berries), flavonoid polymers (tea, apples), and flavonols (tea, onions). While the effect size is small, consistently choosing these foods as part of a balanced diet may help prevent gradual adult weight gain.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Increased consumption of most flavonoid subclasses, including flavonols, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, and flavonoid polymers, was inversely associated with weight change over four year time intervals... The greatest magnitude of association was observed for anthocyanins... flavonoid polymers... and flavonols
Monica L. Bertoia et al. · BMJ · 2016

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort (n=124,086), long follow-up (up to 24 years), rigorous adjustment for confounders, but observational design prevents causal inference.

Source

Dietary flavonoid intake and weight maintenance: three prospective cohorts of 124 086 US men and women followed for up to 24 years

Monica L. Bertoia et al. · BMJ · 2016

DOI 10.1136/bmj.i17

cohort · n=124086Cited 190×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →