Frequent Intake of Tropical Fruits That Are Rich in β-Cryptoxanthin Is Associated with Higher Plasma β-Cryptoxanthin Concentrations in Costa Rican Adolescents

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Abstract
Dietary tocopherols and carotenoids may play a role in preventing cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Because these may begin to develop during adolescence, dietary patterns during this period could influence long-term risk. The objective of this study was to examine the intake and plasma concentrations of the major carotenoids and tocopherols in 159 adolescents (mean ± sd, 15.5 ± 2.5 y old) living in Costa Rica. All participants completed a 135-item food-frequency questionnaire and provided a fasting blood sample. Carotenoid and tocopherol intakes were adjusted for total energy and plasma concentrations for total cholesterol. The relative abundance of carotenoids in the diet was similar to their distribution in plasma; lycopene was the most abundant, followed by β-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin. γ-Tocopherol was more abundant than α-tocopherol in the diet, but α-tocopherol was approximately sevenfold higher in plasma. The highest diet-plasma correlations (adjusted for age, sex and body mass index) were 0.38 for β-cryptoxanthin, 0.33 for γ-tocopherol and 0.17 for lutein + zeaxanthin (all P < 0.05). All other correlations were r < 0.15. Papaya intake was the best food predictor of plasma β-cryptoxanthin concentrations (r = 0.41). Subjects that frequently (≥3/d) consumed tropical fruits with at least 50 μg/100 g β-cryptoxanthin (papaya, tangerine, orange and watermelon) had twofold the plasma β-cryptoxanthin concentrations of those with intakes of P for trend = 0.0009). In sum, the diet-plasma carotenoid and tocopherol correlations were generally low in Costa Rican adolescents. Intakes of β-cryptoxanthin and papaya, a tropical fruit frequently consumed in Latin America, were the best predictors of β-cryptoxanthin concentrations in plasma.