title: Long-term strict raw food diet is associated with favourable plasma beta-carotene and low plasma lycopene concentrations in Germans.
abstract: Dietary carotenoids are associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases. Raw food diets are predominantly plant-based diets that are practised with the intention of preventing chronic diseases by virtue of their high content of beneficial nutritive substances such as carotenoids. However, the benefit of a long-term adherence to these diets is controversial since little is known about their adequacy. Therefore, we investigated vitamin A and carotenoid status and related food sources in raw food diet adherents in Germany. Dietary vitamin A, carotenoid intake, plasma retinol and plasma carotenoids were determined in 198 (ninety-two male and 106 female) strict raw food diet adherents in a cross-sectional study. Raw food diet adherents consumed on average 95 weight% of their total food intake as raw food (approximately 1800 g/d), mainly fruits. Raw food diet adherents had an intake of 1301 retinol activity equivalents/d and 16.7 mg/d carotenoids. Plasma vitamin A status was normal in 82% of the subjects (> or = 1.05 micromol/l) and 63% had beta-carotene concentrations associated with chronic disease prevention (> or = 0.88 micromol/l). In 77% of subjects the lycopene status was below the reference values for average healthy populations (< 0.45 micromol/l). Fat contained in fruits, vegetables and nuts and oil consumption was a significant dietary determinant of plasma carotenoid concentrations (beta-carotene r 0.284; P < 0.05; lycopene r 0.168; P = 0.024). Long-term raw food diet adherents showed normal vitamin A status and achieve favourable plasma beta-carotene concentrations as recommended for chronic disease prevention, but showed low plasma lycopene levels. Plasma carotenoids in raw food adherents are predicted mainly by fat intake.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ada L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koebnick
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Dagnelie
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strassner
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elmadfa
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leitzmann
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D005858:Germany / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013995:Time; D014675:Vegetables; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D044465:White People; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; D000077276:Lycopene