Abstract
Background
Most previous studies have examined the associations between carotenoids and anthropometrics
with cross-sectional designs. Few studies have investigated the associations between
serum carotenoids and fat mass and fat distribution (general vs central type).
Objective
This study aimed to explore the associations of serum carotenoids with body fat and
fat distribution in Chinese adults.
Design
Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of a prospective, community-based cohort
were performed.
Participants/setting
There were 4,048 participants aged 40 to 75 years recruited in the Guangzhou Nutrition
and Health Study from 2008 to 2013.
Main outcome measures
Serum carotenoids were assessed at baseline. Anthropometrics, fat mass (FM), and percentage
FM (%FM) over the total body, trunk, limbs, and android and gynoid regions were obtained
by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for 3,002 participants between 2011 and 2013 and
for 2,537 participants after 3.1 years.
Statistical analysis
Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were performed to compare the mean differences
in adiposity indices among the quartiles of carotenoids.
Results
Covariance analyses showed significant inverse associations between serum total carotenoid
levels and adiposity indices cross-sectionally (all P trends<0.05). The percentage mean differences in quartile 4 (vs 1) in FM and %FM
were much more pronounced in the trunk (–15.4% and –7.74%) and android area (–16.6%
and –8.59%) than those in the limbs (–8.31% and –4.51%) and gynoid area (–7.76% and
–2.71%) (all P<0.001). Longitudinal results revealed that higher total carotenoids were associated
with significantly lower 3-year increases in body mass index (calculated as kg/m2); waist circumference; waist-to-hip ratio; body FM in the limbs and android and gynoid
area; and %FM in total body, trunk, and limbs (all P trends<0.05). Regarding individual carotenoids, β-carotene tended to have the most
notable beneficial associations with the majority of fat indices, especially for cross-sectional
analyses.
Conclusions
Serum carotenoid concentrations are inversely associated with body fat, especially
in the abdominal region, in Chinese adults.
Keywords
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Biography
C. Wang is a physician, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China; at the time of the study, she was a research associate, Department of Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Biography
C.-w. Ling is a doctoral candidate, Department of Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Biography
D. Ding is a doctoral candidate, Department of Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Biography
Y.-h. Li is a postgraduate student, Department of Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Biography
Y.-m. Chen is a professor, Department of Epidemiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Biography
W.-t. Cao is a lecturer, School of Public Health, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, China.
Biography
X.-y. Tang is a physician, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 04, 2020
Accepted:
December 11,
2019
Received:
May 31,
2019
Footnotes
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT This study was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 81773416, 81472965, and 81730090), and the 5010 Program for Clinical Researches (no. 2007032) of the Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou, China). The funders had no role in the design, analysis, or writing of this article.
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© 2020 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
