Table 5.

Translation of food intake to recommendations: carotenoid concentrations in serum/plasma following dietary intervention trials

Food source and conditions	Reference	BCAR (nmol/L)	LUT (nmol/L)	LYC (nmol/L)
Deficiency
Carotenoid free diet for 14 d, average intake before supplementation	Watzl et al (1999)315	600 ± 360	350 ± 120	160 ± 80
Average dietary intake
Unknown intake of tomato juice, carrot juice, and dried spinach	Watzl et al (1999)315	740 ± 440	370 ± 140	160 ± 70
β-Carotene supplements or β-carotene–rich food
330 mL carrot juice/d for 14 d (15.7 mg ACAR/21.6 mg BCAR/0.5 mg LUT)	Watzl et al (1999)315	2050 ± 720*	360 ± 110	150 ± 50
BCAR supplements: ATBC Study and CARET (20 mg BCAR ATBC; 30 mg BCAR CARET)	The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group (1994)23 Omenn et al (1996)24	3800*/5600*
Lycopene supplements or lycopene-rich food
330 mL tomato juice/d for 8 wk (22 mg LYC; 1.0 mg BCAR)	Bohn et al (2013)316	390 ± 160*		1240 ± 30*
Tomato extract (45 mg LYC/d) for 7 d	Wood et al (2008)317	540*	250	127*
30 mg/d LYC supplement (tomato extract) for 8 wk	Vrieling et al (2007)318			610 ± 220*
15 mg/d LYC supplement (extract, tomato oleorosin) for 6 mo	Schwarz et al (2008)319			1240 ± 310*
330 mL tomato juice/d for 14 d (40 mg LYC / 1.5 mg BCAR)	Bub et al (2000)320	650 ± 250	330 ± 120	380 ± 130*
Lutein/zeaxanthin supplements or lutein-rich food
6-mo L/Z supplementation (10 mg lutein; 2 mg zeaxanthin)	Korobelnik et al (2017)321		590 ± 390*
10 g dried spinach powder per day for 14 d   (11.3 mg LUT / 3.1 m BCAR)	Bub et al (2000)320	1210 ± 510*	710 ± 170*	140 ± 60

Values are reported as mean ± standard deviation.

^*Statistical significance vs control group or beginning of trial (baseline), P < 0.05.

Abbreviations: ACAR, α-carotene; ATBC, Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Prevention Trial; BCAR, β-carotene; CARET, β-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial; LUT, lutein; LYC, lycopene; L/Z, lutein and zeaxanthin.