Association between Serum Concentration of Carotenoid and Visceral Fat

Abstract

Consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids has been widely reported to prevent cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and visceral fat area (VFA), which is considered a better predictor of cardiovascular diseases than the body-mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the relationship in healthy individuals in their 20s or older, stratified by sex and age, to compare the relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and VFA and BMI. The study was conducted on 805 people, the residents in Hirosaki city, Aomori prefecture, who underwent a health checkup. An inverse relationship between serum carotenoid concentrations and VFA and BMI was observed only in women. In addition, the results were independent of the intake of dietary fiber, which is mainly supplied from vegetables as well as carotenoids. This suggests that consumption of a diet rich in carotenoids (especially lutein and beta-carotene) is associated with lower VFA, which is a good predictor of cardiovascular disease, especially in women. This study is the first to comprehensively evaluate the association between serum carotenoid levels and VFA in healthy individuals.

Changes in Plasma Carotenoid Concentrations during the AntioxObesity Weight Reduction Program among Adults with Excessive Body Weight

“…However, a positive correlation was found between lycopene and VAT after completing the weight loss program as well as between lycopene and SAT before and after the program, also only in women. Similar results were presented by Matsumoto et al [71], indicating that higher levels of lutein and β-carotene in serum were only associated with lower levels of visceral fat area in women, while the observed positive correlation between lycopene and visceral fat (in men) could be explained by the low level of dietary intake and the influence of other nutrients in dishes. Plasma levels of most carotenoids were inversely correlated with fat mass and general and central obesity [61,72], and with weight loss, serum lutein, and zeaxanthin concentrations increase [23].…”

Association of Serum Beta-Carotene with Metabolic Risk Factors among a Work Cohort in Malaysia

“…Participants from the lower quartiles of serum beta-carotene had higher odds of MetS and metabolic risk factors. Similar findings were reported by other researchers of different regions (9,(27)(28)(29)(30). Beta-carotene has been widely reported for its antioxidant capacity, which involves in controlling adipogenesis, production of adipokines and inflammatory mediators, as well as regulating glucose/insulin homoeostasis (31).…”

Effects of β-Carotin and Green Tea Powder Diets on Alleviating the Symptoms of Gouty Arthritis and Improving Gut Microbiota in C57BL/6 Mice

“…Consumption of dietary fiber and prebiotics that can be metabolized by microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract is generally considered a dietary strategy to regulate the microbiota ( Holscher, 2017 ). Both β-carotin and green tea powder are rich in dietary fiber ( Wang et al, 2020 ; Matsumoto et al, 2021 ). Therefore, we hypothesized that the addition of these two substances to mouse feed could prevent gout development in mice by affecting the taxonomic components and functions of the gut microbiota in mice.…”