Effects of a high monounsaturated fat, tomato-rich diet on serum levels of lycopene

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 57; no. 7; pp. 832 - 841
• Main Authors: AHUJA, K. D. K, ASHTON, E. L, BALL, M. J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing 01.07.2003; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; beta Carotene - analogs & derivatives; beta Carotene - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Blood vessels and receptors; Carbohydrates; Carotene; Carotenoids; Carotenoids - administration & dosage; Carotenoids - blood; Carotenoids - pharmacokinetics; Clinical nutrition; Cross-Over Studies; Cryptoxanthins; Diet; Diet, Fat-Restricted; Dietary Carbohydrates - administration & dosage; Dietary Carbohydrates - pharmacology; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - pharmacology; Energy; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated - administration & dosage; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated - pharmacology; Food; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; High carbohydrate diet; High fat diet; Humans; Intervention; Low carbohydrate diet; Low fat diet; Lycopene; Lycopersicon esculentum - chemistry; Male; Males; Middle Aged; Nutrient deficiency; Nutrition; Serum levels; Statistical analysis; Tomatoes; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Xanthophylls; Australia; Melbourne Victoria Australia; Human; monounsaturated fat; Diet; carotenoids; Monounsaturated fatty acid; Serum; Tomato; Carotenoid; Lycopene; dietary intervention
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601617

To compare the effect of a modified fat, monounsaturated-fat-enriched diet and a high-carbohydrate low-fat diet with high lycopene content on the serum concentration of lycopene and other carotenoids. A randomised crossover dietary intervention study. Melbourne, Australia--Healthy free-living men. A total of 13 healthy males between the age of 20 and 70 y, recruited via advertisements in newspapers and university newsletter. A randomised dietary intervention with two diets of 14 days each. The two diets were--(1) high-fat monounsaturated-fat-enriched (MUFA) and (2) high-carbohydrate low-fat (HCLF). Both the diets contained the same basic foods and a controlled carotenoid content high in lycopene. A significant increase in serum total lycopene occurred, by 126% on the MUFA diet (P <0.001) and 108% on the HCLF diet (P=0.001). A reduction in serum cryptoxanthin (27% on MUFA diet and 25% on HCLF) and alpha-carotene (43% on the MUFA diet and 25% on the HCLF diet) was observed. No change was observed for the other carotenoids. Comparing the end of the two diets, no statistically significant difference was observed for lycopene or the other carotenoids. In all, 15% of energy from fat or 38% of energy from fat (predominantly monounsaturated fat) in the diet does not have a significant differential effect on serum lycopene. The study was partially funded by the Grains Research Development Corporation, Canberra and Meadow Lea Foods Ltd, Mascot, Australia. HJ Heinz, Melbourne, Australia provided the tomato products and some funds for their carotenoid analysis.