Self-Reported Dietary Carotenoid Intake Is Related to Cognitive Outcomes in Early Adolescents

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To investigate the relationships between self-reported dietary carotenoid intake and cognitive outcomes in adolescents aged 11–14 years. Methods Thirty adolescents aged 11–14 years participated in the cross-sectional study. Dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin, lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin and total carotenoids were assessed from three days of 24-hour dietary recall data collected and analyzed using the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool, developed by the National Cancer Institute. Assessments from the NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function were administered to determine scores of executive function, episodic memory, working memory, attention, processing speed, and fluid cognition, all adjusted for age, gender, race, ethnicity, and parent education. Spearman correlations were used to evaluate relationships between variable pairs, using SAS software. Results A significant inverse relationship was found between intake of lutein and zeaxanthin and working memory scores (R2 = −0.427, P < 0.05). Significant positive associations were found between scores of episodic memory and intakes of cryptoxanthin (R2 = 0.411, P < 0.05), lycopene (R2 = 0.396, P < 0.05) and total carotenoids (R2 = 0.395, P < 0.05). No significant relationships were noted between intakes of carotenoids and measurements of executive function, attention, processing speed or fluid cognition. Conclusions Dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin was negatively associated with working memory scores and intakes of cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and total carotenoids were positively associated with episodic memory scores in early adolescents aged 11–14 years. Dietary intake of specific carotenoids may have varied associations with specific domains of cognition. Larger sample sizes are needed to comprehensively evaluate these relationships in adolescent populations. Funding Sources University of Idaho internal funding.