The aims of the present work were to study beverage consumption among obese women from rural communities in Mexico and to estimate daily polyphenol intake and dietary antioxidant capacity from beverages.

A cross-sectional study was used to analyse the beverage intake of 139 premenopausal obese women estimated through repeated 24 h food recalls. Total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity were determined in eighteen beverages, representing 71 % of total beverage consumption, in order to estimate the intake of polyphenols (mg/person per d) and the dietary antioxidant capacity (μmol Trolox equivalents/person per d) from beverages.

Five rural communities located in Queretaro State, Mexico, in 2008.

A total of 139 premenopausal women identified as obese (BMI 35·0 (se 0·4) kg/m2), aged 25–45 years.

The contribution of beverages to dietary energy was 1369 kJ/d (18 % of total energy intake). Soft drinks were consumed the most (283 (se 17) ml/d), followed by coffee and fresh fruit beverages. Polyphenol intake and dietary antioxidant capacity from beverages was 180·9 (se 12·5) mg/person per d and >1000 μmol Trolox equivalents/person per d, respectively. The items that contributed most to this intake were coffee, roselle drink, peach and guava juices and infusions.

There is an urgent need to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among obese women from rural Mexico. Low-sugar beverages rich in polyphenols and antioxidants may be healthier options to replace sweetened drinks and increase the intake of bioactive compounds. Nutritional advice on this topic could be a viable strategy to tackle obesity in rural areas in Mexico.