@article{3097864,
    title = "Plasma carotenoids as biomarkers of intake of fruits and vegetables:
ecological-level correlations in the European Prospective Investigation
into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)",
    author = "Al-Delaimy, WK and Slimani, N and Ferrari, P and Key, T and Spencer, E and and Johansson, I and Johansson, G and Mattisson, I and Wirfalt, E and and Sieri, S and Agudo, A and Celentano, E and Palli, D and Sacerdote, C and and Tumino, R and Dorronsoro, M and Ocke, MC and Bueno-De-Mesquita, HB and and Overvad, K and Chirlaque, MD and Trichopoulou, A and Naska, A and and Tjonneland, A and Olsen, A and Lund, E and Skeie, G and Ardanaz, E and and Kesse, E and Boutron-Ruault, MC and Clavel-Chapelon, F and Bingham, S and and Welch, AA and Martinez-Garcia, C and Nagel, G and Linseisen, J and and Quiros, JR and Peeters, PHM and van Gils, CH and Boeing, H and van and Kappel, AL and Steghens, JP and Riboli, E",
    journal = "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition",
    year = "2005",
    volume = "59",
    number = "12",
    pages = "1397-1408",
    publisher = "SPRINGERNATURE",
    issn = "0954-3007, 1476-5640",
    doi = "10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602253",
    keywords = "carotenoids; fruits and vegetables; plasma; ecology; food frequency
questionnaires; 24-h dietary recall; EPIC",
    abstract = "Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the ability of a single
24-h dietary recall (24HDR) and food questionnaires (FQ) to predict
plasma carotenoid levels at the ecological level by assessing the
relationship between mean plasma carotenoid levels and mean intake of
fruit and vegetables measured by 24HDR and FQ across 16 European
regions.
Design: A random subsample of 3089 subjects was included, stratified by
age and gender. They provided blood samples and dietary information
between 1992 and 2000 as part of the European Prospective Investigation
into Cancer and Nutrition.
Results: Using Spearman’s correlation coefficients, the correlations
between mean regional 24HDR fruit and vegetable variables and
corresponding mean plasma carotenoid levels were generally higher than
the correlations using FQ means. The highest correlation was between the
24HDR citrus fruit variable and beta-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.90). For
24HDR, total fruits and vegetables were highly correlated with lutein,
zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.83-0.87), while vegetables
were more closely related with lutein (r = 0.69) and zeaxanthin (r =
0.68), and fruits correlated with zeaxanthin (r = 0.87) and
beta-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.84). Root vegetables (r = 0.81) and total
carrots (r = 0.71) were well correlated with alpha-carotene. In the
multivariate models adjusting for age, body mass index, and season, and
using observations of means stratified by sex and region, the
association was generally higher for 24HDR compared to FQ.
Conclusion: Mean regional intakes of fruits and vegetables in several
European countries were closely correlated with corresponding mean
plasma levels of individual carotenoids. Fruits and vegetables measured
by 24HDR were generally better able to predict plasma carotenoids at the
ecological level."
}