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Serum concentrations of carotenoids and vitamins A, E, and C in control subjects from five European countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Begoña Olmedilla ,
Fernando Granado ,
Susan Southon ,
Anthony J. A. Wright ,
Inmaculada Blanco ,
Enrique Gil-Martinez ,
Henk van den Berg ,
Bernice Corridan ,
Anne-Marie Roussel  and
Mridula Chopra
...Show all authors
Begoña Olmedilla*
Affiliation:
Clinica Puerta de Hierro, 28035-Madrid, Spain
Fernando Granado
Affiliation:
Clinica Puerta de Hierro, 28035-Madrid, Spain
Susan Southon
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Anthony J. A. Wright
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Inmaculada Blanco
Affiliation:
Clinica Puerta de Hierro, 28035-Madrid, Spain
Enrique Gil-Martinez
Affiliation:
Clinica Puerta de Hierro, 28035-Madrid, Spain
Henk van den Berg
Affiliation:
TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, 3700-Zeist, The Netherlands
Bernice Corridan
Affiliation:
University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland
Anne-Marie Roussel
Affiliation:
UFR des Sciences, Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, 38700-La Tronche, France
Mridula Chopra
Affiliation:
University of Ulster at Coleraine, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
David I. Thurnham
Affiliation:
University of Ulster at Coleraine, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr B. Olmedilla, fax + 34 91 373 7667, email: bolmedilla@hpth.insalud.es
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Abstract

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High intakes of fruits and vegetables, or high circulating levels of their biomarkers (carotenoids, vitamins C and E), have been associated with a relatively low incidence of cardiovascular disease, cataract and cancer. Exposure to a high fruit and vegetable diet increases antioxidant concentrations in blood and body tissues, and potentially protects against oxidative damage to cells and tissues. This paper describes blood concentrations of carotenoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and retinol in well-defined groups of healthy, non-smokers, aged 25–45 years, 175 men and 174 women from five European countries (France, UK (Northern Ireland), Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands and Spain). Analysis was centralised and performed within 18 months. Within-gender, vitamin C showed no significant differences between centres. Females in France, Republic of Ireland and Spain had significantly higher plasma vitamin C concentrations than their male counterparts. Serum retinol and α-tocopherol levels were similar between centres, but γ-tocopherol showed a great variability being the lowest in Spain and France, and the highest in The Netherlands. The provitamin A: non-provitamin A carotenoid ratio was similar among countries, whereas the xanthophylls (lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin) to carotenes (α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene) ratio was double in southern (Spain) compared to the northern areas (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland). Serum concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin were highest in France and Spain; β-cryptoxanthin was highest in Spain and The Netherlands; trans-lycopene tended to be highest in Irish males and lowest in Spanish males; α-carotene and β-carotene were higher in the French volunteers. Due to the study design, the concentrations of carotenoids and vitamins A, C and E represent physiological ranges achievable by dietary means and may be considered as ‘reference values’ in serum of healthy, non-smoking middle-aged subjects from five European countries. The results suggest that lutein (and zeaxanthin), β-cryptoxanthin, total xanthophylls and γ-tocopherol (and α- : γ-tocopherol) may be important markers related to the healthy or protective effects of the Mediterranean-like diet.

Keywords

CarotenoidsVitamins-TocopherolEuropean control subjects
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 85 , Issue 2 , February 2001 , pp. 227 - 238
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2001

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