title: Dietary, anthropometric, and lifestyle correlates of serum carotenoids in postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Concentration of carotenoids in the serum is a biomarker of mainly vegetable and fruit consumption. However, the levels of carotenoids in humans may decline with age and can also depend on body fat, alcohol consumption, and cigarette smoking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Food intake and characteristics of 159 randomly chosen women aged 56-75 years were obtained by a self-administered questionnaire. Serum concentrations of carotenoids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Estimation of fat mass was carried out by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated total daily intake of carotenoids was 9.75 mg: α-carotene 10.6%; β-carotene 35.6%; lutein/zeaxanthin 27.1%; β-cryptoxanthin 4.7%; and lycopene 22.0%. We observed statistically significant positive correlations between concentrations of serum carotenoids and their estimated intakes (r = 0.11 lycopene to 0.38 β-carotene) and fruit and vegetable intake (r = 0.15 lycopene to 0.30 β-carotene). Concentration of serum carotenoids positively correlated with education (r = 0.17 α-carotene to 0.29 lycopene) and alcohol intake (r = 0.02 α-carotene to r = 0.25 lycopene). Inverse correlations were with the age (r = -0.18 α-carotene to -0.42 lycopene) and fat mass (r = -0.15 lycopene to -0.29 α-, β-carotene).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this population of healthy postmenopausal women, serum concentrations of carotenoids declined with increasing age and body fat mass. The concentrations were increased among women with high vegetable and fruit consumption, moderate alcohol intake, and high level of education.
authors: Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Agata
authors: A
authors: Wawrzyniak
authors: Jadwiga
authors: J
authors: Hamułka
authors: Emilie
authors: E
authors: Friberg
authors: Alicja
authors: A
authors: Wolk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000886:Anthropometry; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood*; D012907:Smoking; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002338:Carotenoids