Higher serum carotenoid concentrations were associated with the lower risk of cancer-related death: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The study focuses on the association between serum carotenoids and cancer-related death. Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2006 and 2017-2018), the study encompasses 10,277 participants older than age 20 years, with recorded baseline characteristics and serum carotenoid concentrations (including α-carotene, trans-ß-carotene, cis-ß-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin, trans-lycopene, and lutein/zeaxanthin). We hypothesized that serum carotenoid concentrations were negatively associated with cancer-related death. The weighted chi-square analyses indicate significant negative correlations between higher serum concentrations of α-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin, trans-lycopene, and total carotenoids, and the risk of cancer-related deaths. Using weighted Cox regression analysis, this study confirms that α-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin, trans-lycopene, and total carotenoids, as continuous or categorical variables, are inversely related to cancer mortality (P < .0001). Furthermore, considering competitive risk events, lower concentrations of serum ß-cryptoxanthin (Fine-Gray P = 1.12e-04), trans-lycopene (P = 5.68e-14), and total carotenoids (P = .03) are associated with an increased risk of cancer-related deaths. The research reveals a crucial inverse relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and cancer-related death.

Negative Association of Serum ß-Cryptoxanthin With Benzene and Its Derivatives.

OBJECTIVE: Benzene is widely recognized as a potential carcinogen. Furthermore, the deficiency of specific nutrients may render individuals more vulnerable to cancer. For instance, ß-cryptoxanthin, which possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, has been identified as one such nutrient. Elevated benzene levels and reduced ß-cryptoxanthin levels are reportedly correlated with an augmented susceptibility to cancer. To date, whether these 2 substances are linked with one another in the above correlation is yet to be determined. METHOD: This study included 1358 participants with data on the serum concentration of ß-cryptoxanthin as well as benzene and its derivatives. The data were sourced from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional survey of the noninstitutionalized US population. Headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was used to measure serum benzene and its derivatives, while high-performance liquid chromatography using multiwavelength photodiode-array absorbance detection was employed to quantify serum ß-cryptoxanthin. RESULTS: In this study, male and female participants showed average ß-cryptoxanthin levels of 9.10 ± 6.35 and 9.92 ± 8.95 ug/dL, respectively (p = 0.049). Styrene exhibited the strongest correlation with the change in ß-cryptoxanthin concentration (ß = -3.30, p for trend <0.001) upon comparing highest-quartile participants with those in the lowest quartile, followed by benzene (ß = -2.95, p for trend <0.001), toluene (ß = -2.90, p for trend <0.001), and ethylbenzene (ß = -1.43, p for trend = 0.09). Subgroup analysis by sex displayed a statistically significant negative correlation of ß-cryptoxanthin with benzene, styrene, and toluene in both the unadjusted and multivariate-adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: The sera of noninstitutionalized US individuals exhibit a negative association of ß-cryptoxanthin levels with benzene and its derivatives. Styrene demonstrates the strongest link with a substantial decline in serum ß-cryptoxanthin levels, followed by benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene.

Metabolites, Nutrients, and Lifestyle Factors in Relation to Coffee Consumption: An Environment-Wide Association Study.

Coffee consumption has been inversely associated with various diseases; however, the underlying mechanisms are not entirely clear. We used data of 17,752 Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants to investigate the association of 245 metabolites, nutrients, and lifestyle factors with coffee consumption. We used data from the first phase (n = 8825) to identify factors with a false discovery rate of <5%. We then replicated our results using data from the second phase (n = 8927). Regular coffee consumption was positively associated with active and passive smoking, serum lead and urinary cadmium concentrations, dietary intake of potassium and magnesium, and aspirin intake. In contrast, regular coffee consumption was inversely associated with serum folate and red blood cell folate levels, serum vitamin E and C, and beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations, Healthy Eating Index score, and total serum bilirubin. Most of the aforementioned associations were also observed for caffeinated beverage intake. In our assessment of the association between coffee consumption and selected metabolites, nutrients, and lifestyle factors, we observed that regular coffee and caffeinated beverage consumption was strongly associated with smoking, serum lead levels, and poorer dietary habits.

Serum lipophilic antioxidants levels are associated with leucocyte telomere length among US adults.

BACKGROUND: To examine the association between serum concentrations of antioxidant and telomere length (TL) in U.S adults. METHODS: Participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with data available on TL measures from 2001 to 2002 were included. Serum lipophilic antioxidants level was measured using high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection. We used analysis of co-variance and multivariable-adjusted linear regression models, accounting for the survey design and sample weights. RESULTS: Of the 5992 eligible participants, 47.5% (n = 2844) were men. The mean age was 46.9 years overall, 47.2 years in men and 46.6 in women (p = 0.071). In age, sex, race, education, marital status, adiposity, smoking, C-reactive protein adjusted linear regressions, antioxidant, serum α-carotene, trans-ß-carotene, cis- ß-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin and combined Lutein/zeaxanthin were positively and significantly associated with TL (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support a possible positive association between serum concentrations of lipophylic antioxidant and TL. The implications of this association deserve further investigation.

Higher Plasma Selenium Concentrations Are Associated with Increased Odds of Prevalent Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Selenium, an essential trace element, has been investigated as a potential cancer prevention agent. However, several studies have indicated that selenium supplementation may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), although an equivocal relation of this nature requires confirmation. Objective: We examined the association between baseline plasma concentrations of selenium and the prevalence of T2D, as well as whether participant characteristics or intake of other antioxidant nutrients modified this relation. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of 1727 participants from the Selenium Trial, a randomized clinical trial of selenium supplementation for colorectal adenoma chemoprevention that had data for baseline selenium plasma concentrations, T2D status, and dietary intake. Logistic regression modeling was used to evaluate the associations between plasma selenium concentrations and prevalent T2D, adjusting for confounding factors. Heterogeneity of effect by participant characteristics was evaluated utilizing likelihood-ratio tests. Results: Mean ± SD plasma selenium concentrations for those with T2D compared with those without T2D were 143.6 ± 28.9 and 138.7 ± 27.2 ng/mL, respectively. After adjustment for confounding, higher plasma selenium concentrations were associated with a higher prevalence of T2D, with ORs (95% CIs) of 1.25 (0.80, 1.95) and 1.77 (1.16, 2.71) for the second and third tertiles of plasma selenium, respectively, compared with the lowest tertile (P-trend = 0.007). No significant effect modification was observed for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, or ethnicity. Increased odds of T2D were seen among those who were in the highest tertile of plasma selenium and the highest category of intake of ß-cryptoxanthin (P-trend = 0.03) and lycopene (P-trend = 0.008); however, interaction terms were not significant. Conclusions: These findings show that higher plasma concentrations of selenium were significantly associated with prevalent T2D among participants in a selenium supplementation trial. Future work is needed to elucidate whether there are individual characteristics, such as blood concentrations of other antioxidants, which may influence this relation.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between vitamin A intake, serum vitamin A, and risk of liver cancer.

BACKGROUND: Previous evidence supports that vitamin A decreases the risk of several types of cancer. However, the association between vitamin A and liver cancer is inconclusive. AIM: This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing literature, discussing the association between vitamin A intake, serum vitamin A, and liver cancer in adult populations. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed by searching the EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus and International Pharmaceutical Abstract databases using terms related to vitamin A (e.g. retinol, α-carotene, ß-carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin) and hepatic cancer without applying any time restriction. A meta-analysis was performed using random effect models. RESULTS: The meta-analysis of five studies showed no association between serum retinol and liver cancer (pooled risk ratio = 1.90 (0.40-9.02); n = 5 studies, I2 = 92%). In addition, the systematic review of studies from 1955 to July 2017 found studies that indicated no association between the intake and serum level of α-carotene ( n = 2) and ß-cryptoxanthin ( n = 1) and the risk of liver cancer. Further, the associations between retinol intake ( n = 3), ß-carotene intake ( n = 3), or serum ß-carotene ( n = 3) and liver cancer were inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS: Current information on the association between vitamin A intake and liver cancer or serum vitamin A and liver cancer are limited. Most studies demonstrated no association between dietary vitamin A and the risk of liver cancer. However, the finding was based on a small number of studies with potential publication bias. Therefore, large observational studies should be conducted to confirm these associations.

Safety Evaluation and Plasma Carotenoid Accumulation in Healthy Adult Subjects after 12 Weeks of Paprika Oleoresin Supplementation.

Paprika oleoresin is obtained by solvent extraction from Capsicum annuum L. fruits and contains multiple carotenoids, such as capsanthin, ß-carotene, zeaxanthin, and ß-cryptoxanthin, which are considered protective against various diseases. Herein, we investigated the effect of paprika oleoresin supplementation on plasma carotenoid accumulation and evaluated the safety of the oleoresin. We used a double-blinded, placebo-controlled comparative clinical study design and tested the effects of varying doses in healthy adult subjects. In total, 33 subjects were randomly divided into three groups to take capsules containing 0, 20, or 100 mg of paprika oleoresin daily for 12 consecutive weeks. Plasma carotenoid concentrations were measured at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks, and the safety of paprika oleoresin capsules was investigated using analyses of blood biochemistry, hematology, and urine contents. In these experiments, ß-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin dose-dependently accumulated in plasma within the dose range of the study over 12 consecutive weeks of paprika oleoresin supplementation. Moreover, ß-cryptoxanthin accumulated to higher levels than the other paprika oleoresin carotenoids. In contrast, capsanthin was not detected in plasma before or during the 12-week treatment period. Finally, no adverse events were associated with intake of paprika oleoresin (20 and 100 mg/day) in safety evaluations. Paprika oleoresin is a suitable source of carotenoids, especially ß-cryptoxanthin.

Effects of Plant Sterols or ß-Cryptoxanthin at Physiological Serum Concentrations on Suicidal Erythrocyte Death.

The eryptotic and hemolytic effects of a phytosterol (PS) mixture (ß-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol) or ß-cryptoxanthin (ß-Cx) at physiological serum concentration and their effect against oxidative stress induced by tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBOOH) (75 and 300 µM) were evaluated. ß-Cryptoxanthin produced an increase in eryptotic cells, cell volume, hemolysis, and glutathione depletion (GSH) without ROS overproduction and intracellular Ca2+ influx. Co-incubation of both bioactive compounds protected against ß-Cx-induced eryptosis. Under tBOOH stress, PS prevented eryptosis, reducing Ca2+ influx, ROS overproduction and GSH depletion at 75 µM, and hemolysis at both tBOOH concentrations. ß-Cryptoxanthin showed no cytoprotective effect. Co-incubation with both bioactive compounds completely prevented hemolysis and partially prevented eryptosis as well as GSH depletion induced by ß-Cx plus tBOOH. Phytosterols at physiological serum concentrations help to prevent pro-eryptotic and hemolytic effects and are promising candidate compounds for ameliorating eryptosis-associated diseases.

Serum carotenoids and colorectal cancer risk: A case-control study in Guangdong, China.

SCOPE: Previous epidemiological studies on the association between circulating carotenoids and the risk of colorectal cancer drew inconclusive conclusions. This study aimed to examine serum carotenoids in relation to colorectal cancer risk in a Chinese population. METHODS AND RESULTS: One case-control study beginning from July 2010, consecutively recruited 538 eligible colorectal cancer cases and 564 age (5-year interval) and sex frequency-matched controls. Serum levels of α-carotene, ß-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin, lycopene and lutein/zeaxanthin were detected by HPLC. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence internal (CI) after adjusting for various confounders. Serum levels of α-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin and lycopene were found to be inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. The adjusted ORs of the highest quartile relative to the lowest quartile serum level were 0.49 (95% CIs 0.33-0.72) for α-carotene, 0.44 (95% CIs 0.29-0.66) for ß-cryptoxanthin, and 0.36 (95% CIs 0.24-0.54) for lycopene, respectively. The association between serum ß-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin and colorectal cancer risk was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the incidence of colorectal cancer was associated with lower serum levels of α-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin and lycopene among Chinese population residing in Guangdong.

Plasma Carotenoids, Tocopherols, and Retinol in the Age-Stratified (35-74 Years) General Population: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six European Countries.

Blood micronutrient status may change with age. We analyzed plasma carotenoids, α-/γ-tocopherol, and retinol and their associations with age, demographic characteristics, and dietary habits (assessed by a short food frequency questionnaire) in a cross-sectional study of 2118 women and men (age-stratified from 35 to 74 years) of the general population from six European countries. Higher age was associated with lower lycopene and α-/ß-carotene and higher ß-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, α-/γ-tocopherol, and retinol levels. Significant correlations with age were observed for lycopene (r = -0.248), α-tocopherol (r = 0.208), α-carotene (r = -0.112), and ß-cryptoxanthin (r = 0.125; all p < 0.001). Age was inversely associated with lycopene (-6.5% per five-year age increase) and this association remained in the multiple regression model with the significant predictors (covariables) being country, season, cholesterol, gender, smoking status, body mass index (BMI (kg/m²)), and dietary habits. The positive association of α-tocopherol with age remained when all covariates including cholesterol and use of vitamin supplements were included (1.7% vs. 2.4% per five-year age increase). The association of higher ß-cryptoxanthin with higher age was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for fruit consumption, whereas the inverse association of α-carotene with age remained in the fully adjusted multivariable model (-4.8% vs. -3.8% per five-year age increase). We conclude from our study that age is an independent predictor of plasma lycopene, α-tocopherol, and α-carotene.