Lutein intake at the age of 1 year and cardiometabolic health at the age of 6 years: the Generation R Study

Abstract

Lutein is a carotenoid with strong antioxidant properties. Previous studies in adults suggest a beneficial role of lutein on cardiometabolic health. However, it is unknown whether this relation also exists in children; therefore, we aimed to assess the relation between lutein intake at 13 months of age and cardiometabolic outcomes at the age of 6 years. We included 2044 Dutch children participating in a population-based prospective cohort study. Diet was measured at 13 months of age with an FFQ. Lutein intake was standardised for energy and β-carotene intake. Blood pressure, anthropometrics, serum lipids and insulin were measured at the age of 6 years. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed to measure total and regional fat and lean mass. A continuous cardiometabolic risk factor score was created, including the components body fat percentage, blood pressure, insulin, HDL-cholesterol and TAG. Age-and sex-specific standard deviation scores were created for all outcomes. Multivariable linear regression was performed, including socio-demographic and lifestyle variables. Median (energy-standardised) lutein intake was 1317 mcg/d (95 % range 87, 6069 mcg/d). There were no consistent associations between lutein intake at 13 months and anthropometrics and body composition measures at 6 years of age. In addition, lutein intake was not associated with a continuous cardiometabolic risk factor score, nor was it associated with any of the individual components of the cardiometabolic risk factor score. Results from this large population-based prospective cohort study do not support the hypothesis that lutein intake early in life has a beneficial role for later cardiometabolic health.Key words: Carotenoids: Lutein: Body composition: Cardiometabolic health: Epidemiology: Children Lutein is a non-provitamin A carotenoid that is present in many commonly consumed fruits and vegetables (1) . Due to ingestion of these foods by animals, lutein is also present in animal products such as eggs and dairy products. As an antioxidant, lutein has the potential to protect against oxidative stress by quenching lipid peroxide radicals, and could therefore protect an individual from CVD and metabolic diseases (1) .Previous literature has shown associations between higher lutein intake or blood levels and a decreased risk of metabolic syndrome (2)(3)(4)(5)(6) . In particular, lutein has been shown to be inversely related to waist circumference (6,7) and BMI (5,7) . Nevertheless, reverse causation could apply as lutein is fatsoluble, and thus adiposity might lead to lower levels of lutein due to lutein absorption by fat tissue. However, a causal relation might also be possible, because lutein has been linked to adipocyte differentiation, and through this mechanism lutein might reduce abdominal adiposity (8) .Bioavailability of lutein depends on many other dietary factors, such as the presence of dietary fibre (which inhibits lutein uptake) (9) and the presence of dietary fat (which increases lutein uptake) (10) . Dietary factors mi...

Health Effects of Carotenoids during Pregnancy and Lactation

“…Lack of lutein effect on cognitive performance may be caused by selection of well-nourished population, whereas largest functional effects of lutein may be the most significant for those with relative deficiency; selection poor biomarker (plasma concentration) for lutein in brain (MOPD would be better), as well probably not the most sensitive cognitive tests for measuring the effects of diet on brain development [ 178 ]. The Generation R Study ( n = 2044 healthy Dutch children) did not support the hypothesis that lutein intake in early life (13 months of life) has beneficial role for later cardiometabolic health, anthropometrics and body measures at the age of six [ 179 ].…”

Continuous cardiometabolic risk score definitions in early childhood: a scoping review

“…Additionally, articles where the score calculated was non‐continuous ( n = 8) and articles where the score was measured at adolescence or adulthood ( n = 58) were excluded. A total of 91 articles met the review criteria and were included in the data extraction .…”

The Effect of Lutein on Eye and Extra-Eye Health

“…The AREDS2 study found that L supplementation was unable to reduce CV diseases in patients with AMD [ 168 ]. Leermakers et al assessed median L intake in 13-month-old children by administering a food frequency questionnaire to their caregivers but, at 6 years of age, they did not find any improvement in cardiometabolic health [ 169 ], suggesting a lack of correlation between L consumption and parameters of CV health. However, a recent meta-analysis by the same authors that included studies enrolling more than 350,000 participants concluded that L consumption is associated with better CV health [ 170 ].…”