title: Multinational study of major breast milk carotenoids of healthy mothers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carotenoids in serum vary between countries and within populations with evidence suggesting a qualitative relationship to diet. Breast milk carotenoids furnish a source of vitamin A and potentially provide immunoprotection and other health benefits for infants. There have been numerous studies of milk carotenoid concentrations in undernourished populations; however, carotenoid concentrations have not previously been compared in populations of well-nourished mothers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare concentrations of five major carotenoid groups: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, and lycopene in breast milk of healthy women from Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and to qualitatively compare patterns of dietary intake with milk carotenoid concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breast milk collected from healthy lactating women was analyzed for concentrations of five carotenoids and retinol and quantitated relative to total milk lipid. All determinations were performed in a single research laboratory using standardized methodology. Mothers consumed their usual diets and provided a single 24-h dietary recall.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Breast milk carotenoid concentrations varied greatly among countries, with the greatest differences in beta-cryptoxanthin (approximately 9-fold) and the least in alpha-carotene and lycopene (approximately 3-fold). Breast milk retinol concentrations varied approximately 2-fold across countries. The provitamin A carotenoids alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin as a group accounted for > 50 % of the carotenoids measured. Total breast milk carotenoids were highest in Japanese and lowest in Philippine mothers. Breast milk beta-carotene concentrations were highest in Chile and lowest in the Philippines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patterns of breast milk carotenoids were unique to each country and qualitative patterns reflected the dietary carotenoid supply.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA. lmcanfie@email.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Louise M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Canfield
authors.forename: M Thomas
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Clandinin
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hawkes
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pramuk
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sablan
authors.forename: Tomoyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sonobe
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002170:Canada; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis*; D002677:Chile; D002681:China; D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D014975:Lutein / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D000077276:Lycopene; D011939:Mental Recall; D008800:Mexico; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D010679:Philippines; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D008055:Lipids; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; C041635:alpha-carotene; D000077276:Lycopene; D014975:Lutein