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. 2020 Aug 7;79(5):544–573. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa008

Table 4.

Correlation coefficients between blood plasma and/or serum concentrations and dietary intake of carotenoids in humans

Blood serum or plasma (nmol/L)a,b
Reference Location; women and/ or men, age (no.) Method ACAR BCAR LUT ZEA L/Z BCRY LYC
Fraser et al (2016)82

  • American, Canadian women and men

  • 50–90 y (909)

  • 24-h Non-black participants

  • 24-h Black participants

  • FFQ Non-black participants

  • FFQ Black participants

  • 0.59

  • 0.62

  • 0.52

  • 0.54

  • 0.52

  • 0.49

  • 0.47

  • 0.44

  • 0.40

  • 0.52

  • 0.25

  • 0.45

  • 0.50

  • 0.41

  • 0.32

  • 0.27

  • 0.28

  • 0.23
Olmedilla-Alonso et al (2014)70

  • Spanish men and women (108)

  • 20–35 y (54)

  • 45–65 y (54)

 3 24-h diet recalls

  • 0.27

  • 0.14

  • 0.21

  • 0.37

  • 0.31

  • 0.17
Wawrzyniak et al (2013)73

  • Swedish women

  • 56–75 y (159)

 FFQ 0.25 0.37 0.29 0.30 0.24
George et al (2012)81c

  • American women

  • 40–69 y (217)

  • DHQ

  • 24-h

  • 0.44

  • 0.36

  • 0.28

  • 0.37

  • 0.30

  • 0.33

  • 0.08b

  • 0.21

  • 0.52

  • 0.47

  • 0.29–0.33

  • 0.26–0.28

  • American men

  • 40–69 y (253)

  • DHQ

  • 24-h

  • 0.39

  • 0.29

  • 0.37

  • 0.30

  • 0.31

  • 0.34

  • 0.13d

  • 0.17

  • 0.48

  • 0.38

  • 0.30

  • 0.30
Talegawkar et al (2008)197

  • African –American women and men

  • 34–84 y (373)

  • 24-h

  • Short FFQ

  • Long FFQ

  • 0.41

  • 0.32

  • 0.18

  • 0.32

  • 0.12

  • 0.21

  • 0.39

  • 0.13

  • 0.20

  • 0.44

  • 0.29

  • 0.25

  • 0.40

  • 0.24

  • 0.14
Tangney et al (2004)78

  • American women

  • 65–87y (34)

  • 24-h

  • FFQ

 0.47

  • 0.24d

  • 0.22d

 0.03d 0.44 −0.02d

  • American men

  • 66–86 y (25)

  • 24-h

  • FFQ

 0.54

  • 0.10d

  • 0.37d

 0.13d 0.46 0.09d
El-Sohemy et al (2002)63

  • Costa Rica women

  • 59± 10 y (344)

 FFQ 0.26 0.13d 0.22 0.55 0.19

  • Costa Rica men

  • 56± 11 y (155)

 FFQ 0.24 0.22 0.20 0.44 0.35
Curran-Celentano et al (2001)77 American women and men, 18–50 y (280) FFQ 0.16 0.19 0.03d
Carroll et al (1999)66

  • Irish women

  • 25–45 y (32);

  • >65 y ( 25)

 FFQ

  • 0.24d

  • −0.14d

  • 0.11d

  • 0.12d

  • −0.02d

  • 0.10 d

  • 0.53

  • 0.65

  • 0.50d

  • 0.44d

  • Irish men

  • 25–45 y (32);

  • >65 y (29)

 FFQ

  • 0.31d

  • 0.70

  • −0.09d

  • 0.34 d

  • 0.27d

  • 0.39 d

  • 0.68

  • 0.54

  • 0.26d

  • 0.47
Tucker et al (1999)76 American women 67–93 y (346) FFQ 0.33 0.36 0.27 0.44 0.35
American men 68–91 y (201) FFQ 0.18 0.25 0.10d 0.32 0.21
Yong et al (1994)198

  • American women

  • 29–39 y (60)

  • Diet records

  • FFQ

  • 0.59

  • 0.52

  • 0.52

  • 0.44

  • 0.29

  • 0.29

  • 0.49

  • 0.30

  • 0.41

  • 0.28
Range 0.14–0.70 0.09–0.52 0.14–0.34 0.03–0.37 0.02–0.52 0.25–0.68 0.02–0.50
Mean 0.39 0.29 0.27 0.17 0.24 0.45 0.29
Standard deviation 0.16 0.14 0.07 0.11 0.14 0.11 0.11

Pearson correlation coefficient is reported unless otherwise indicated.

a

Either serum or plasma.

b

Blank cells represent nondetermined correlations due to no data, data not determined, or missing values of measured carotenoids.

c

Spearman coefficient reported.

d

Not statistically significant.

Abbreviations: 24 H, 24 h dietary recalls; ACAR: α-carotene; BCAR: β-carotene; BCRY, β-cryptoxanthin; DHQ, diet history questionnaire; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire; LUT, lutein; LYC, lycopene; L/Z, lutein/zeaxanthin; ZEA, zeaxanthin.