Highlights
- •Diets high in β-carotene and α-carotene associate with reduced type 2 diabetes risk.
- •Diets high in β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin do not associate with type 2 diabetes risk.
- •The associations of dietary carotenoids and type 2 diabetes risk are not modified by smoking status.
Abstract
Background and aims
Carotenoids may reduce diabetes risk, due to their antioxidant properties. However,
the association between dietary carotenoids intake and type 2 diabetes risk is still
unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine whether higher dietary
carotenoid intakes associate with reduced type 2 diabetes risk.
Methods and results
Data from 37,846 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer
and Nutrition- Netherlands study were analyzed. Dietary intakes of β-carotene, α-carotene,
β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein & zeaxanthin and the sum of these carotenoids were
assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Incident type 2 diabetes
was mainly self-reported, and verified against general practitioner information. Mean
±SD total carotenoid intake was 10 ± 4 mg/day. During a mean ±SD follow-up of 10 ±
2years, 915 incident cases of type 2 diabetes were ascertained. After adjustment for
age, sex, diabetes risk factors, dietary intake, waist circumference and BMI, higher
β-carotene intakes associated inversely with diabetes risk [Hazard Ratio quartile
4 versus quartile 1 (HRQ4): 0.78 (95%CI:0.64,0.95), P-linear trend 0.01]. For α-carotene, a borderline significant
reduced risk was observed, with a HRQ4 of 0.85 (95%CI:0.70,1.03), and P-linear trend 0.05. β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein
& zeaxanthin, and the sum of all carotenoids did not associate with diabetes risk.
Conclusions
This study shows that diets high in β-carotene and α-carotene are associated with
reduced type 2 diabetes in generally healthy men and women.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 30, 2014
Accepted:
December 22,
2014
Received in revised form:
November 28,
2014
Received:
June 4,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
