Plasma concentrations of carotenoids and vitamin C are better correlated with dietary intake in normal weight than overweight and obese elderly subjects

• Published in: British journal of nutrition Vol. 97; no. 5; pp. 977 - 986
• Main Authors: Vioque, Jesús, Weinbrenner, Tanja, Asensio, Laura, Castelló, Adela, Young, Ian S., Fletcher, Astrid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2007
• Subjects: administration & dosage; Aged; analysis; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - analysis; ascorbic acid; Ascorbic Acid - administration & dosage; Ascorbic Acid - blood; beta Carotene; beta Carotene - administration & dosage; beta Carotene - blood; Biological and medical sciences; biomarkers; blood; blood plasma; blood sampling; Body Mass Index; Carotenoids; Carotenoids - administration & dosage; Carotenoids - blood; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - administration & dosage; Cholesterol - blood; Chronic illnesses; correlation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cryptoxanthins; Diet; Disease; elderly; elderly nutrition; Energy Intake; Energy Intake - physiology; epidemiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Food frequency questionnaire; food frequency questionnaires; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; men; nutrient intake; Nutrition; nutrition assessment; obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - epidemiology; Overweight; Overweight - physiology; physiology; Plasma; Plasma concentrations; prediction; Prevalence; Smoking; Spain; Spain - epidemiology; Studies; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin C; Vitamins; Vitamins - administration & dosage; Vitamins - blood; Weight; women; Xanthophylls; Xanthophylls - administration & dosage; Xanthophylls - blood; Spain; Plasma concentrations; Food frequency questionnaire; Carotenoids; Vitamin C; Human; Obesity; Ascorbic acid; Questionnaire; Nutrition disorder; Carotenoids: Vitamin C: Food frequency questionnaire: Plasma concentrations; Concentration; Normal; Weight; Blood plasma; Overweight; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Food intake; Carotenoid; Elderly; Nutritional status; Food
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007114507659017

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: α-carotene 0·21, β-carotene 0·19, lycopene 0·18, β-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 ≤ 0·01) but not with plasma vitamin C. In addition, we observed significant interactions between BMI and the intakes of α-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin, and to a lower extent β-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 α-carotene, β-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin in obese subjects.