title: Effects of high fruit-vegetable and/or low-fat intervention on plasma micronutrient levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Higher plasma micronutrient levels have been associated with decreased cancer risks. The objective of this study was to determine the relative effects of reduced fat and/or increased fruit-vegetable (FV) intakes on plasma micronutrient levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy, premenopausal women with a family history of breast cancer (n = 122) were randomized across four diet arms for one year in a 2 x 2 factorial design study: control, low-fat, high fruit-vegetable and combination low-fat/high FV diets. Levels of plasma micronutrients were measured in plasma at 0, 3, 6 and 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The high FV intervention, regardless of fat intake, significantly increased alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and vitamin C levels in plasma. Only the combination high FV, low-fat intervention significantly increased plasma beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin levels over time. Although alpha-tocopherol was not affected, a potential concern is that the low-fat intervention resulted in significantly decreased both gamma-tocopherol dietary intakes and plasma levels, regardless of whether or not FV intakes were concomitantly increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol plasma levels were decreased by a low fat diet, perhaps because gamma-tocopherol is not generally added to foods nor widely used in vitamin E supplements. The decreased dietary intakes and plasma levels of gamma-tocopherol with a low-fat diet may have implications for health risks since the biological functions of the different tocopherol isomers have been reported to be distinct.
authors.affiliation: Deapartment of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0930, USA. zoralong@umich.edu
authors.forename: Zora
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Djuric
authors.forename: Jianwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mekhovich
authors.forename: Raghu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venkatranamoorthy
authors.forename: Lance K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Heilbrun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014675:Vegetables; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004041:Dietary Fats; D018977:Micronutrients; D002338:Carotenoids; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid