Lung function in relation to intake of carotenoids and other antioxidant vitamins in a population-based study.
Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary antioxidant vitamins are positively associated with lung function. No evidence exists regarding whether dietary carotenoids other than beta-carotene are related to pulmonary function. In 1995--1998 the authors studied the association of forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity as the percentage of the predicted value (FEV(1)% and FVC%, respectively) after adjustment for height, age, gender, and race with the intakes of several carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, and lycopene) in a random sample of 1,616 men and women who were residents of western New York State, aged 35--79 years, and free from respiratory disease. They observed significant associations of lutein/zeaxanthin and vitamins C and E with FEV(1)% and FVC% using multiple linear regression after adjustment for total energy intake, smoking, and other covariates. When they analyzed all of these antioxidant vitamins simultaneously, they observed the strongest association of vitamin E with FEV(1)% and of lutein/zeaxanthin with FVC%. The differences in forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity associated with a decrease of 1 standard deviation of dietary vitamin E or lutein/zeaxanthin were equivalent to the influence of approximately 1--2 years of aging. Their findings support the hypothesis that carotenoids, vitamin C, and vitamin E may play a role in respiratory health and that carotenoids other than beta-carotene may be involved.
Schünemann
Holger J
HJ
Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, 207 Farber Hall, 3435 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214-3000, USA. HJS@buffalo.edu
McCann
Susan
S
Grant
Brydon J B
BJ
Trevisan
Maurizio
M
Muti
Paola
P
Freudenheim
Jo L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D014797:Vital Capacity; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology
D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D001205:Ascorbic Acid