Circadian Patterns of Beverage Consumption within the EPIC-Germany Cohorts

To identify circadian patterns of beverage consumption, also considering regional differences, we analyzed data from 24-h dietary recalls of 1,606 men and women (mean age 67 years) participating in the two  German EPIC-study populations in Heidelberg and Potsdam from 2010 to 2012. We found that the first peak of fluid consumption occurs during the morning at breakfast-time, followed by two smaller peaks in the afternoon and during dinner-time. With respect to meal patterns, beverage consumption was low at lunch-time compared to breakfastand dinner-time. Beverage intake during the evening was found to be of minor
importance in regard to overall beverage intake and was mainly confined to alcoholic beverages, particularly in men. The results indicate that while men and women from the EPIC-Potsdam cohort consume more coffee, especially in the afternoon, and men consume more tea and beer, participants from the EPICHeidelberg cohort consume more wine, especially in the evening, as well as more soft drinks during lunch-time. Furthermore, the recommendation of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) to drink at least 1.5 l of low-energy beverages was only met by 50% of the participants from Potsdam and by 46% of the participants from Heidelberg. These and other findings suggest the necessity of strategies to improve the beverage consumption behavior in older adults in Germany, especially among men. Moreover, the present data indicate regional differences in drinking patterns in Germany.