Determinants of the nutritional status of vitamin E in a non-smoking Mediterranean population. Analysis of the effect of vitamin E intake, alcohol consumption and body mass index on the serum alpha-tocopherol concentration.
OBJECTIVE
Study was conducted in order to investigate the association of vitamin E intake and other factors with plasma alpha-tocopherol concentration in a non-smoking Mediterranean population.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in a subsample of a representative sample of the Catalan population.


METHODS
Sample size was 143 men and women, aged between 18 and 75 y, and final response rate reached 61.9% of the initial sample.


METHODS
Serum alpha-tocopherol concentration standardized by serum total lipids was used as a proxy of the nutritional status of vitamin E. Vitamin E intake and alcohol consumption were estimated by a replicated 24 h recall method. Dietary data were collected in two different periods, winter and summer, in order to account for seasonal variation in nutrient intake, and were corrected for random within-person variability in order to account for day-to-day variation in nutrient intake. Multivariate linear regression models were fitted in order to estimate the determinants of serum alpha-tocopherol concentration.


RESULTS
In this population study, for each one mg increase in vitamin E intake, serum alpha-tocopherol concentration increased, on average, 0.66 micromol/L, after adjusting for age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), alcohol consumption and energy intake. BMI also influenced significantly serum alpha-tocopherol concentration, whereas alcohol intake, age and gender did not show significant associations with serum alpha-tocopherol.


CONCLUSIONS
The study showed that vitamin E nutritional status was associated to vitamin E intake and BMI in non-smokers.
Gascón-Vila
P
P
Community Nutrition Research Unit, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Garcia-Closas
R
R
Serra-Majem
L
L
Pastor
M C
MC
Ribas
L
L
Ramon
J M
JM
Mariné-Font
A
A
Salleras
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012621:Seasons; D013030:Spain; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*
D014810:Vitamin E