Plasma Carotenoids and Premenstrual Symptoms in a Multi-Ethnic Population of Young Women

Abstract

Premenstrual symptoms are experienced by most women of reproductive age, but effective therapies are limited. Carotenoids may have an attenuating effect on premenstrual symptoms; however, studies to date are equivocal. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between plasma concentrations of seven carotenoids and premenstrual symptom severity in 553 women from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health study. Participants provided information on fifteen common premenstrual symptoms and severities. Each participant completed a General Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire and provided a fasting blood sample from which plasma carotenoid concentrations were measured. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to determine associations between plasma carotenoid concentrations and premenstrual symptom severity. Beta-cryptoxanthin was associated with moderate/severe increased appetite for women in the highest compared to the lowest tertile (OR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.39, 3.89). This association remained significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. There were no observed associations between other plasma carotenoids and any premenstrual symptoms. In summary, higher concentrations of beta-cryptoxanthin were associated with an increased appetite as a premenstrual symptom, but no associations were observed for any other carotenoid and for any other symptom.

Carotenoides

“…Por otro lado, el retinol, o vitamina A preformada, aporta aproximadamente el 60% de la ingesta diaria promedio de vitamina A de un individuo a través de productos y subproductos animales como hígado, riñón, huevos, pescado graso y lácteos. El otro 40% es suministrado por provitamina A, que incluye carotenoides como betacaroteno, alfacaroteno y beta criptoxantina (Kerzner et al, 2021). La deficiencia de vitamina A provoca ceguera nocturna, xeroftalmía, irritación de la piel, queratinización, retraso en el crecimiento, además de debilitar el sistema inmunológico y comprometer la fertilidad, entre otras condiciones (Lara-Abia et al, 2021).…”

“…Las yemas de huevo contienen las formas biodisponibles de los potentes carotenoides antioxidantes luteína y zeaxantina, que protegen contra el desarrollo de enfermedades metabólicas al aumentar la expresión de ARNm de enzimas antioxidantes y disminución de las citocinas proinflamatorias (Thomas et al, 2022). Se sabe que los antioxidantes tienen un papel protector en la reducción de la inflamación, por lo que es posible que puedan proteger contra ciertos síntomas premenstruales (Kerzner et al, 2021).…”