title: Plasma concentrations of carotenoids and vitamin C are better correlated with dietary intake in normal weight than overweight and obese elderly subjects.
abstract: Carotenoid and vitamin C intakes, assessed by FFQ, have been positively associated with plasma concentrations in different populations. However, the influence of BMI on these associations has not been explored in detail. We explored in a cross-sectional study the relation between dietary carotenoid and vitamin C intakes, using a 135-item FFQ, with their plasma concentrations by BMI categories in 252 men and 293 women, 65 years and older. For men and women combined, significant (P < 0.05) Pearson correlations were observed between energy-adjusted dietary intakes and plasma concentrations (carotenoids adjusted for cholesterol) for: alpha-carotene 0.21, beta-carotene 0.19, lycopene 0.18, beta-cryptoxanthin 0.20 and vitamin C 0.36. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the intake of carotenoids and vitamin C were significant predictors of their respective plasma concentration (P<0.01), and that BMI was inversely associated with plasma concentration of carotenoids (P< or =0.01) but not with plasma vitamin C. In addition, we observed significant interactions between BMI and the intakes of alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin, and to a lower extent beta-carotene, suggesting that these intakes in subjects with high BMI were not good predictors of their plasma concentration. The present data suggest that plasma carotenoids and vitamin C may be good markers of dietary intake in elderly subjects, but not so for alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin in obese subjects.
authors.affiliation: Departamento Salud Pública, Campus San Juan, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche-Alicante, Ctra. Valencia s/n, 03550 Alicante, Spain. vioque@umh.es
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vioque
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weinbrenner
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asensio
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castelló
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D065366:Cryptoxanthins; D014815:Vitamins; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; C041635:alpha-carotene; D002784:Cholesterol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D000077276:Lycopene