Food preferences and mortality risk in the prospective cohort of UK Biobank participants.
Clinical Snapshot
PICO Framework
| P — Population | 177,148 UK Biobank participants who completed a food preference questionnaire |
| I — Intervention | High preference for specific food items (asparagus, aubergine, black pepper, broccoli, butternut squash, extra virgin olive oil) |
| C — Comparator | Low preference for the same food items |
| O — Outcomes | All-cause mortality risk over mean follow-up of 3.4 years |
Bottom Line
This large UK Biobank study suggests that food preferences may serve as useful proxies for dietary quality in predicting mortality risk. Higher preference for vegetables like asparagus and broccoli, and extra virgin olive oil, was associated with 31-33% lower all-cause mortality, while preference for fizzy drinks increased mortality risk by 38%. However, the relatively short 3.4-year follow-up limits confidence in these associations, and the clinical utility remains unclear without validation studies. While food preference questionnaires offer a novel, less biased approach than self-reported dietary intake, longer follow-up and external validation are needed before incorporating these findings into clinical practice. The results support existing dietary guidelines promoting vegetable consumption and limiting sugar-sweetened beverages.
Key Findings
P Value: Not specified but all CIs exclude null
Effect Size: Protective HRs: asparagus 0.69, broccoli 0.69, extra virgin olive oil 0.67; harmful HR: fizzy drinks 1.38
Primary Outcome: All-cause mortality over 3.4 years mean follow-up
Nnt Or Sensitivity: Hazard ratios suggest 31-33% mortality reduction for protective foods, 38% increase for fizzy drinks
Confidence Interval: Asparagus 0.62-0.77, broccoli 0.61-0.79, olive oil 0.58-0.78, fizzy drinks 1.24-1.54
Clinical Application
Food preference questionnaires could be easily implemented in clinical practice as screening tools Relevant to Australian primary care and preventive medicine; aligns with RACGP guidelines on dietary counselling and cardiovascular risk reduction Middle-aged to older adults in developed countries with similar dietary patterns to UK
Abstract
Food preferences may serve as less biased proxies for self-reported food intake in predicting health outcomes but have not yet been linked to mortality risk. We included 177,148 UK Biobank participants who completed a food preference questionnaire (FPQ), with a mean follow-up of 3.4 years (607,779 person-years; 3355 deaths). High versus low preference for 140 food items was tested using Cox regression with Holm adjustment. Sensitivity analyses excluded participants with key health conditions, additional supplement use, or short follow-up, added BMI and physical activity as covariates, and redefined preference groups. Higher preference for asparagus (hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)): 0.69 (0.62, 0.77)), aubergine (0.79 (0.72, 0.87)), black pepper (0.72 (0.64, 0.81)), broccoli (0.69 (0.61, 0.79)), butternut squash (0.75 (0.68, 0.83)), and extra virgin olive oil (0.67 (0.58, 0.78)) was linked to lower all-cause mortality, whereas higher preference for regular fizzy drinks (1.38 (1.24, 1.54)) was linked to higher mortality across all analyses. Specific food preferences are associated with all-cause mortality risk. FPQs may, therefore, complement conventional dietary assessments. Further studies should examine their associations with metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes.
References
- 1.Eichner, G., Fasshauer, M., & Schaefer, S. M. (2026). Food preferences and mortality risk in the prospective cohort of UK Biobank participants. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-021-00846-7
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