Carotenoid Intake and Serum Concentration in Young Finnish Children and Their Relation with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption.

Marianne Prasad,Liisa Uusitalo,Suvi Ahonen,Mikael Knip,Jorma Toppari,Marja-Leena Ovaskainen,Heli Tapanainen,Suvi Virtanen,Georg Alfthan,Hanna-Mari Takkinen,Iris Erlund,Mari Åkerlund,Jorma Ilonen,Riitta Veijola

doi:10.3390/nu10101533

Abstract

Fruit and vegetable intake has been associated with a reduced risk of many chronic diseases. These foods are the main dietary source of carotenoids. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations between dietary intake and serum concentrations of α- and β-carotene in a sample of young Finnish children from the population-based birth cohort of the Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Study. The current analysis comprised 3-day food records and serum samples from 207 children aged 1, 2 and 3 years. Spearman and partial correlations, as well as a cross-classification analyses, were used to assess the relationship between dietary intake and the corresponding biomarkers. Serum concentrations of α- and β-carotene were significantly higher among the 1-year-old compared to the 3-year-old children. Dietary intakes of α- and β-carotene correlated significantly with their respective serum concentrations in all age groups, the association being highest at the age of 1 year (α-carotene r = 0.48; p < 0.001 and β-carotene r = 0.47; p < 0.001), and lowest at the age of 3 years (α-carotene r = 0.44; p < 0.001 and β-carotene r = 0.30; p < 0.001). A cross-classification showed that 72–81% of the participants were correctly classified to the same or adjacent quartile, when comparing the reported dietary intakes and the concentrations of the corresponding carotenoid in serum. The 3-day food record seems to be reasonably valid in the assessment of root vegetable consumption among young Finnish children. Root vegetables were the main dietary source of both carotenoids in all age groups. The high consumption of commercial baby foods among the 1-year-old children was reflected in the relatively high dietary intake and serum concentration of both carotenoids.

Highlights

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced risk of obesity [1] and several chronic diseases [2,3,4]
The Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Study is an ongoing population-based cohort aimed at exploring possible means of predicting and preventing type I diabetes among children with HLA-DQB1
Type 1 diabetes in a first-degree relative was more common among the case children than in the controls

Summary

Introduction

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced risk of obesity [1] and several chronic diseases [2,3,4]. Many global health promotion programs endorse an increased consumption of plant-based foods [5,6]. Diet-related health problems are often already rooted in childhood, and dietary behaviors adopted early in life tend to continue [7,8], making it important to introduce healthy eating habits from a young age. Patterns of food intake established already during the first year of life tend to persist years later [8]. In Finland, the consumption of vegetables, fruits and berries is remarkably low among young children, and reduces further with age [9,10]. There is a clear need for the promotion of the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption among young children, and to evaluate diets early

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