title: Dietary determinants of serum beta-carotene and serum retinol.
abstract: The relationship of major dietary carotenoids, preformed and total vitamin A, and different foods to serum beta-carotene and serum retinol levels was studied among 224 male and 117 female adults taken from the Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Survey. Serum nutrients were analysed after 10-15 years of storage at -20 degrees C. Dietary data were collected by a quantitative dietary history interview method. Intakes of nutrients were calculated based on analysed data on Finnish foods. The positive gradient between beta-carotene intake and serum level, being highly significant in women and non-significant in men, was concentrated in non-smokers. Other major dietary carotenoids tended to be positively correlated with serum beta-carotene in parallel with dietary beta-carotene. Carrot intake was the most specific single food predictor for serum beta-carotene. Serum retinol levels were not significantly associated with dietary variables and were not affected by current smoking. In women, serum beta-carotene values were higher, but serum retinol levels lower, compared with men. The results support earlier findings that smoking modifies the association between dietary beta-carotene and serum beta-carotene, and suggest that despite the long storage of serum samples beta-carotene determinations had some value as a biological marker for beta-carotene in the diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Järvinen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Knekt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seppänen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Aaran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009790:Occupations; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids