Table 3. Serum carotenoid level¹ (mg/ml) and plasma vitamin C level¹ (mg/dl) by area.

	Ninohe PHC				Yokote PHC				Saku PHC				Ishikawa PHC				ANOVA p-value
	Mean	±	SD	Median	Mean	±	SD	Median	Mean	±	SD	Median	Mean	±	SD	Median
Men (n=86)	n=22				n=25				n=18				n=21
Alpha-carotene	0.06	±	0.04	0.05	0.05	±	0.02	0.05	0.05	±	0.02	0.05	0.07	±	0.03	0.06	0.2226
Beta-carotene	0.30	±	0.2	0.21	0.26	±	0.1	0.24	0.37	±	0.23	0.32	0.21	±	0.07	0.20	0.0230
Lycopene	0.08	±	0.03	0.08	0.10	±	0.03	0.09	0.10	±	0.04	0.09	0.09	±	0.02	0.08	0.2307
Vitamin C	1.36	±	0.27	1.38	1.07	±	0.24	1.01	1.24	±	0.22	1.24	1.08	±	0.22	1.08	0.0002
Women (n=100)	n=26				n=26				n=24				n=24
Alpha-carotene	0.06	±	0.02	0.06	0.07	±	0.03	0.07	0.08	±	0.04	0.08	0.11	±	0.05	0.11	0.0001
Beta-carotene	0.40	±	0.16	0.38	0.46	±	0.27	0.36	0.68	±	0.45	0.55	0.42	±	0.19	0.35	0.0037
Lycopene	0.10	±	0.03	0.09	0.10	±	0.04	0.08	0.11	±	0.04	0.10	0.10	±	0.02	0.10	0.3502
Vitamin C2	1.53	±	0.33	1.54	1.16	±	0.29	1.22	1.40	±	0.22	1.36	1.17	±	0.21	1.13	0.0001

¹Serum carotenoid level, mean measurments of Feb. and Aug.; Plasma vitaminC level, measured in Feb.

²for Ishikawa PHC, n=23