TABLE 1.
Baseline maternal demographics, lifestyle, and systemic carotenoid concentrations of the Carotenoid and the Control study groups1
| Variables | Carotenoid group (n = 21) | Control group (n = 20) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 30.8 ± 3.1 | 29.1 ± 3.7 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.9 ± 3.7 | 25.4 ± 4.6 |
| Race | ||
| Caucasian | 21 (100.0) | 20 (100.0) |
| Non-Caucasian | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Ethnicity | ||
| Non-Hispanic | 20 (95.2) | 19 (95.0) |
| Hispanic | 1 (4.8) | 1 (5.0) |
| Smoking habits | ||
| Never smoked | 21 (100.0) | 20 (100.0) |
| Smoked | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Alcohol frequency | ||
| Never | 20 (95.2) | 20 (100.0) |
| Occasional | 1 (4.8) | 0 (0.0) |
| Estimated dietary intake of L and Z, mg/d | ||
| Lutein | 4.0 ± 5.7 | 3.4 ± 3.1 |
| Zeaxanthin | 0.3 ± 0.3 | 0.2 ± 0.2 |
| Lutein + Zeaxanthin | 4.3 ± 5.9 | 3.6 ± 3.1 |
| Serum carotenoids, ng/mL | ||
| Lutein | 219.7 ± 103.3 | 182.6 ± 68.2 |
| Zeaxanthin | 37.9 ± 16.8 | 34.4 ± 15.3 |
| Lutein + Zeaxanthin | 257.6 ± 116.7 | 217.0 ± 82.5 |
| Total carotenoids | 780.1 ± 347.9 | 674.7 ± 284.3 |
| Skin carotenoids, RU | 39981 ± 9495 | 39436 ± 8733 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; n, number of participants; RU, Raman units; Total carotenoids: summation of lutein, zeaxanthin, β cryptoxanthin, α carotene, β carotene, and lycopene.
To convert ng/mL L + Z to nmol/L, multiply ng/mL by 1.758.
1
Data shown are mean ± standard deviation for continuous data and frequency (%) for categorical data.