Table 1.
Overview of the selected studies on biomarkers of fruit and vegetables intake in children and adolescents.
| Dietary Factor | Sample Size | Country | Age (Years) | Study Design | Potential Biomarkers 1 | Primary References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin biomarkers | ||||||
| F/V | 45 (20 boys) | USA | 5–17 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids | [24] |
| F/V | 381 (193 boys) | USA | 3–5 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids | [25] |
| F/V | 177 (83 boys) | USA | 2–12 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids | [26] |
| F/V | 166 (62 boys) | USA | 9–12 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids | [27] |
| F/V | 374 (N) | NM | NM | Noncontrolled dietary intervention | Total carotenoids | [28] |
| F/V | 143 (68 boys) | USA | 9–11 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids | [29] |
| Blood biomarkers | ||||||
| F/V | 1192 (651 boys) | France, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Spain, UK | 6–11 | Cross-sectional | Acetylornithine | [23] |
| F/V | 45 (20 boys) | USA | 5–17 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids | [24] |
| F/V | 166 (62 boys) | USA | 9–12 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids | [27] |
| F/V | 81 (34 boys) | Danish | 8–11 | Cross-sectional | α- and β-Carotene, β-cryptoxanthin |
[30] |
| F/V | 97 (43 boys) | USA | 6–10 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids and vitamin C | [31] |
| F/V | 122 boys | Spain | 15–17 | Cross-sectional | Total carotenoids | [32] |
| F/V | 285 (boys 153) | USA | 12–17 | Cross-sectional | α-Carotene | [33] |
| F/V | 93 (N) | Australia | 5–12 | Cross-sectional | β-Carotene, lycopene α-Carotene, cryptoxanthin |
[34] |
| DGOV/green vegetable | 210 (99 boys) | Brazil | 9–13 | Cross-sectional | β-carotene, 5-MTHF | [35] |
| Fruit/green-yellow vegetable | 398 (214 boys) | Japan | 10–11 and 13–14 | Cross-sectional | β-Carotene, cryptoxanthin, | [36] |
| F/V | 80 (23 boys) | Brazil | 13.0 ± 1.1 | Cross-sectional | β-Carotene | [37] |
| Fruit/root vegetable | 207 (129 boys) | Finnish | 1–3 | Cohort study | α- and β-Carotene | [38] |
| Papaya | 159 (81 boys) | Costa Rican | 12–20 | Cross-sectional | β-Cryptoxanthin | [39] |
| Momordica cochinchinensis (gac) | 185 (N) | Vietnam | 2–6 | Controlled dietary intervention | α- and β-Carotene, retinol, lycopene, zeaxanthin | [40] |
| Amaranth | 35 (N) | India | 2–6 | Controlled dietary intervention | Vitamin A | [41] |
| Sun-dried cowpea and amaranth leaves | 152 (N) | Kenya | 2.5–6 | Controlled dietary intervention | β-Carotene, retinol | [42] |
| F/V | 390 (163 boys) | Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Sweden | 12.5–17.5 | Cross-sectional | Vitamin C, β-carotene | [43] |
| F/V | 174 (82 boys) | Australia | 0–17 | Noncontrolled dietary intervention | β-Cryptoxanthin, lutein–zeaxanthin, vitamin C | [44] |
| F/V | 45 (21 boys) | Brazil | 6–10 | Cross-sectional | Combination of β-carotene, retinol, vitamin C and α-tocopherol |
[45] |
| Orange fruit/ dark-green leafy vegetable |
238 (104 boys) | Indonesia | 7–11 | Controlled dietary intervention | Retinol, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene | [46] |
| Urinary biomarkers | ||||||
| F/V | 330 (215 boys) | Australia | 8 | Cross-sectional | Potassium | [47] |
| Wild blueberry | 15 (7 boys) | UK | 7–10 | Controlled dietary intervention | Hippuric acid, dihydro caffeic acid 3-O-sulfate | [48] |
| F/V | 240 (120 boys) | Germany | 9–10 and 12–15 | Cross-sectional | Hippuric acid | [49] |
| FlavFV | 287 (48% boys) | Germany | 9–16 | Cross-sectional | Hippuric acid | [50] |
| F/V | 1192 (651 boys) | France, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Spain, UK | 6–11 | Cross-sectional | Hippurate, proline betaine, NMNA, scyllo-inositol, acetate | [23] |
1 These compounds were found to be significantly associated with fruit and vegetables intake; F/V: fruit and vegetables; N: sex not specified; NM: not mention; DGOV: dark green and orange vegetables; FlavFV: flavonoid intake from fruit and vegetables; 5-MTHF: 5-methyltetrahydrofolate; WWB: wild blueberry. NMNA: N-methylnicotinic acid.