title: Correlations of vitamin A and E intakes with the plasma concentrations of carotenoids and tocopherols among American men and women.
abstract: The authors investigated the association of diet and other factors with the plasma concentrations of carotenoids, retinol and tocopherols in a sample of 121 men and 186 women participating in two prospective investigations of dietary etiologies of chronic diseases. Lycopene (mean concentration, 0.82 mumol/L in men, 0.76 mumol/L in women), beta-carotene (mean 0.46 mumol/L in men, 0.58 mumol/L in women) and lutein (mean 0.28 mumol/L in men, 0.27 mumol/L in women) were the major circulating carotenoids. Among nonsmokers, dietary carotenoid, as typically calculated in epidemiologic studies, was significantly correlated with plasma beta-carotene (r = 0.34 in men, r = 0.30 in women), alpha-carotene (r = 0.52 in men, r = 0.37 in women) and lutein (r = 0.36 in men, r = 0.19 in women), but not with plasma zeaxanthin (r = 0.11 and r = 0.02) or lycopene (r = 0.13 and r = 0.01) after adjusting for plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, body mass index and energy intake. Total vitamin E intake was positively associated with plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol (r = 0.51 in men, r = 0.41 in women) and inversely associated with plasma concentrations of gamma-tocopherol (r = -0.51 in men r = -0.42 in women), but this was primarily due to use of vitamin E supplements. Measurements of specific carotenoids can provide independent information beyond the usual calculation of carotene intake in epidemiologic studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ascherio
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stampfer
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Colditz
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Rimm
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Litin
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Willett
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014975:Lutein / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; C041635:alpha-carotene; D014975:Lutein