
Dr Yifan Xu
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Biography
Yifan Xu is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Nutritional Epidemiology at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, King's College London. Following a BSc in Public Health and an MSc in Nutrition and Food Hygiene from Peking University, China, Yifan did her PhD at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, King’s College London.
Yifan’s PhD project focused on dietary assessment of (poly)phenol intake and analysing biomarkers of (poly)phenols using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques. This work explored current methodologies and pioneered novel approaches for measuring dietary exposure to (poly)phenols in free-living populations. During her work as a postdoc, Yifan is involved in nutritional epidemiology research investigating the effect of diet quality on the co-morbidities of psoriasis using data from the UK Biobank.
Yifan is currently engaged in research focusing on dietary assessment, especially on ultra-processed food intake and food additives intake among cohorts with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Development of a food frequency questionnaire for the estimation of dietary (poly)phenol intake
Li, Y., Xu, Y., Le Sayec, M., Kamarunzaman, N. N. Z., Wu, H., Hu, J., Li, S., Gibson, R. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 25 Sept 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Food & Function. 15, 20, p. 10414-10433 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Development of a (Poly)phenol Metabolic Signature for Assessing (Poly)phenol-Rich Dietary Patterns
Li, Y., Xu, Y., Le Sayec, M., Yan, X., Spector, T. D., Steves, C. J., Bell, J. T., Small, K. S., Menni, C., Gibson, R. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 12 Jun 2024, In: JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY. 72, 23, p. 13439-13450 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Development of a novel (poly)phenol-rich diet score and its association with urinary (poly)phenol metabolites
Xu, Y., Li, Y., Hu, J., Gibson, R. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 20 Sept 2023, In: Food & Function. 14, 21, p. 9635-9649 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Interplay between the (Poly)phenol Metabolome, Gut Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study from the TwinsUK Cohort
Li, Y., Xu, Y., Le Roy, C., Hu, J., Steves, C. J., Bell, J. T., Spector, T. D., Gibson, R., Menni, C. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 14 Apr 2023, In: Nutrients. 15, 8, 1900.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Wild blueberry (poly)phenols can improve vascular function and cognitive performance in healthy older individuals: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Wood, E., Hein, S., Mesnage, R., Fernandes, F., Abhayaratne, N., Xu, Y., Zhang, Z., Bell, L., Williams, C. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., Jun 2023, In: The American journal of clinical nutrition. 117, 6, p. 1306-1319 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Comparison between dietary assessment methods and biomarkers in estimating dietary (poly)phenol intake
Xu, Y., Li, Y., Ma, X., Alotaibi, W., Le Sayec, M., Cheok, A., Wood, E., Hein, S., Young Tie Yang, P., Hall, W. L., Nosarti, C., Dazzan, P., Gibson, R. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 9 Jan 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Food & Function. 14, 3, p. 1369-1386 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Plant-based dietary patterns and their association with mood in healthy individuals
Ma, X., Li, Y. L., Xu, Y., Gibson, R., Williams, C. M., Lawrence, A., Nosarti, C., Dazzan, P. & Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., 29 Dec 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: Food & Function.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Health associations of liver enzymes and inflammatory scores with urinary citrus flavonoid metabolites
Bullón-Vela, V., Xu, Y., Razquin, C., Abete, I., Zulet, M. A., Martínez-González, M. A., Buil-Corsiales, P., Vitelli-Storelli, F., Martín Sánchez, V., Vazquez-Ruíz, Z., Sayón-Orea, C., Domínguez-Fernández, M., Cid, C., Estruch, R., Lamuela-Raventós, R. M., Fitó, M., Blanchart, G., Babio, N., Salas-Salvadó, J. & Tinahones, F. J. & 7 others, Tur, J. A., Romaguera, D., Konieczna, J., Pintó, X., Daimiel, L., Rodriguez-Mateos, A. & Martínez, J. A., 23 Dec 2022, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Food & Function.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
The effects of Aronia berry (poly)phenol supplementation on arterial function and the gut microbiome in middle aged men and women: Results from a randomized controlled trial
Le Sayec, M., Xu, Y., Laiola, M., Alvarez Gallego, F., Katsikioti, D., Durbidge, C., Kivisild, U., Armes, S., Lecomte, M., Fança-Berthon, P., Fromentin, E., Plaza Oñate, F., Cruickshank, K. & Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., Nov 2022, In: CLINICAL NUTRITION. 41, 11, p. 2549-2561 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Betalain-rich dragon fruit (pitaya) consumption improves vascular function in adult men and women: a double-blind, randomized controlled crossover trial
Cheok, A., Xu, Y., Zhang, Z., Caton, P. & Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., 10 Dec 2021, (Accepted/In press) In: The American journal of clinical nutrition.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Dietary assessment methods to estimate (poly)phenol intake in epidemiological studies: a systematic review
Xu, Y., Le Sayec, M., Roberts, C., Hein, S., Rodriguez Mateos, A. M. & Gibson, R., 1 Sept 2021, In: Advances in Nutrition. 12, 5, p. 1781-1801 21 p., nmab017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Quantitative Assessment of Dietary (Poly)phenol Intake: A High-Throughput Targeted Metabolomics Method for Blood and Urine Samples
Dominguez-Fernandez, M., Xu, Y., Young Tie Yang, P., Alotaibi, W., Gibson, R., Hall, W., Barron, L., Ludwig, I., Cid, C. & Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., 29 Dec 2020, In: JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Urinary Resveratrol Metabolites Output: Differential Associations with Cardiometabolic Markers and Liver Enzymes in House-Dwelling Subjects Featuring Metabolic Syndrome
Bullón-Vela, V., Abete, I., Zulet, M. A., Xu, Y., Martínez-González, M. A., Sayón-Orea, C., Ruiz-Canela, M., Toledo, E., Sánchez, V. M., Estruch, R., Lamuela-Raventós, R. M., Almanza-Aguilera, E., Fitó, M., Salas-Salvadó, J., Díaz-López, A., Tinahones, F. J., Tur, J. A., Romaguera, D., Konieczna, J. & Pintó, X. & 3 others, Daimiel, L., Rodriguez-Mateos, A. & Alfredo Martínez, J., 22 Sept 2020, In: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 25, 18, 4340.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research

Diet & Gastrointestinal Health Research Group
The Diet and Gastrointestinal Health Research Group aims to understand the molecular, cellular, whole person and population-level mechanisms involved in gut health and the development and treatment of gastrointestinal disease.
Development of a food frequency questionnaire for the estimation of dietary (poly)phenol intake
Li, Y., Xu, Y., Le Sayec, M., Kamarunzaman, N. N. Z., Wu, H., Hu, J., Li, S., Gibson, R. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 25 Sept 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Food & Function. 15, 20, p. 10414-10433 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Development of a (Poly)phenol Metabolic Signature for Assessing (Poly)phenol-Rich Dietary Patterns
Li, Y., Xu, Y., Le Sayec, M., Yan, X., Spector, T. D., Steves, C. J., Bell, J. T., Small, K. S., Menni, C., Gibson, R. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 12 Jun 2024, In: JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY. 72, 23, p. 13439-13450 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Development of a novel (poly)phenol-rich diet score and its association with urinary (poly)phenol metabolites
Xu, Y., Li, Y., Hu, J., Gibson, R. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 20 Sept 2023, In: Food & Function. 14, 21, p. 9635-9649 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Interplay between the (Poly)phenol Metabolome, Gut Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study from the TwinsUK Cohort
Li, Y., Xu, Y., Le Roy, C., Hu, J., Steves, C. J., Bell, J. T., Spector, T. D., Gibson, R., Menni, C. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 14 Apr 2023, In: Nutrients. 15, 8, 1900.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Wild blueberry (poly)phenols can improve vascular function and cognitive performance in healthy older individuals: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Wood, E., Hein, S., Mesnage, R., Fernandes, F., Abhayaratne, N., Xu, Y., Zhang, Z., Bell, L., Williams, C. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., Jun 2023, In: The American journal of clinical nutrition. 117, 6, p. 1306-1319 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Comparison between dietary assessment methods and biomarkers in estimating dietary (poly)phenol intake
Xu, Y., Li, Y., Ma, X., Alotaibi, W., Le Sayec, M., Cheok, A., Wood, E., Hein, S., Young Tie Yang, P., Hall, W. L., Nosarti, C., Dazzan, P., Gibson, R. & Rodriguez-Mateos, A., 9 Jan 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Food & Function. 14, 3, p. 1369-1386 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Plant-based dietary patterns and their association with mood in healthy individuals
Ma, X., Li, Y. L., Xu, Y., Gibson, R., Williams, C. M., Lawrence, A., Nosarti, C., Dazzan, P. & Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., 29 Dec 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: Food & Function.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Health associations of liver enzymes and inflammatory scores with urinary citrus flavonoid metabolites
Bullón-Vela, V., Xu, Y., Razquin, C., Abete, I., Zulet, M. A., Martínez-González, M. A., Buil-Corsiales, P., Vitelli-Storelli, F., Martín Sánchez, V., Vazquez-Ruíz, Z., Sayón-Orea, C., Domínguez-Fernández, M., Cid, C., Estruch, R., Lamuela-Raventós, R. M., Fitó, M., Blanchart, G., Babio, N., Salas-Salvadó, J. & Tinahones, F. J. & 7 others, Tur, J. A., Romaguera, D., Konieczna, J., Pintó, X., Daimiel, L., Rodriguez-Mateos, A. & Martínez, J. A., 23 Dec 2022, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Food & Function.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
The effects of Aronia berry (poly)phenol supplementation on arterial function and the gut microbiome in middle aged men and women: Results from a randomized controlled trial
Le Sayec, M., Xu, Y., Laiola, M., Alvarez Gallego, F., Katsikioti, D., Durbidge, C., Kivisild, U., Armes, S., Lecomte, M., Fança-Berthon, P., Fromentin, E., Plaza Oñate, F., Cruickshank, K. & Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., Nov 2022, In: CLINICAL NUTRITION. 41, 11, p. 2549-2561 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Betalain-rich dragon fruit (pitaya) consumption improves vascular function in adult men and women: a double-blind, randomized controlled crossover trial
Cheok, A., Xu, Y., Zhang, Z., Caton, P. & Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., 10 Dec 2021, (Accepted/In press) In: The American journal of clinical nutrition.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Dietary assessment methods to estimate (poly)phenol intake in epidemiological studies: a systematic review
Xu, Y., Le Sayec, M., Roberts, C., Hein, S., Rodriguez Mateos, A. M. & Gibson, R., 1 Sept 2021, In: Advances in Nutrition. 12, 5, p. 1781-1801 21 p., nmab017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Quantitative Assessment of Dietary (Poly)phenol Intake: A High-Throughput Targeted Metabolomics Method for Blood and Urine Samples
Dominguez-Fernandez, M., Xu, Y., Young Tie Yang, P., Alotaibi, W., Gibson, R., Hall, W., Barron, L., Ludwig, I., Cid, C. & Rodriguez Mateos, A. M., 29 Dec 2020, In: JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Urinary Resveratrol Metabolites Output: Differential Associations with Cardiometabolic Markers and Liver Enzymes in House-Dwelling Subjects Featuring Metabolic Syndrome
Bullón-Vela, V., Abete, I., Zulet, M. A., Xu, Y., Martínez-González, M. A., Sayón-Orea, C., Ruiz-Canela, M., Toledo, E., Sánchez, V. M., Estruch, R., Lamuela-Raventós, R. M., Almanza-Aguilera, E., Fitó, M., Salas-Salvadó, J., Díaz-López, A., Tinahones, F. J., Tur, J. A., Romaguera, D., Konieczna, J. & Pintó, X. & 3 others, Daimiel, L., Rodriguez-Mateos, A. & Alfredo Martínez, J., 22 Sept 2020, In: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 25, 18, 4340.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research

Diet & Gastrointestinal Health Research Group
The Diet and Gastrointestinal Health Research Group aims to understand the molecular, cellular, whole person and population-level mechanisms involved in gut health and the development and treatment of gastrointestinal disease.