title: [Carotenoid data base to assess dietary intake of carotenes, xanthophyls and vitamin A; its use in a comparative study of vitamin A nutritional status in young adults].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  1) Develop a database of carotenoids (BD-carotenoids) in foods widely consumed in Spain. 2) To assess the vitamin A nutritional status (expressed as retinol equivalents [RE] and retinol activity equivalents [RAE]) in young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  The BD-carotenoids includes data on carotenes (β-carotene, α-carotene and lycopene) and xanthophylls (β-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin) generated by HPLC. Vitamin A intake was assessed by a 3-day food record in 54 adults (20-35 years of age, not obese and with serum retinol > 30 µg/dl), using the BD-carotenoids and a Food Composition Table widely used in Spain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BD-carotenoids includes data on 89 foods (9 raw or boiled and 14 processed). The intake of provitamin-A carotenoids is 2.5 mg/p/d, that of RE 682 µg/p/d and that of RAE 499 µg/p/d. The vitamin A intake expressed as RAE is 27% lower than that expressed as RE. Seventy-six percent of the intake meets the daily intake recommendations and 63% meets the reference daily intakes of vitamin A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data on individual carotenoids ensure greater accuracy in studies on diet and health, and provide easier assessment of the vitamin A intake, expressed as RE, RAE, or any other future forms. The vitamin A intake expressed as RAE represents a substantial reduction in the carotenoid contribution to vitamin A intake, which enhances the detection of inadequacies of that intake.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beltrán
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Estévez
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuadrado
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Olmedilla Alonso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D014966:Xanthenes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014966:Xanthenes; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids