Volume 89, Issue 1, January (2003), pp. 83-87 © The Author 2003
doi:10.1079/BJN2003751

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Plasma retinol and tocopherol levels in relation to demographic, lifestyle and nutritional factors of plant origin in Greece

A. Papas¹, M. Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis², P. Lagiou³, C. Bamia³, Y. Chloptsios³ and A. Trichopoulou^3*
1Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, TN, USA
²Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Health and Human Development Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
³Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Athens Medical School, 75 M.Asias St. GR-115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece

 (Received 10 September 2001–Revised 20 May 2002–Accepted 6 September 2002)

In the context of the Greek segment of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) we have conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the effect of demographic, lifestyle and nutritional factors of plant origin on retinol, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol. Study subjects were a random sample of forty-five men and sixty-eight women, aged 30–82 years, from the Greek EPIC cohort of 27953 volunteers. Analyses were done using linear regression models with the vitamin blood levels as dependent variables, and BMI, the intake of selected food items, total energy intake and a set of demographic factors as independent variables. Women had significantly lower plasma retinol levels (P<0·006) than men. Both α- and γ-tocopherol levels increased by approximately 5 % for every additional 5 years of age. Among dietary factors, intake of non-fruity vegetables was associated with increase, while intake of added lipids other than olive oil with decrease, of plasma retinol levels. BMI was positively associated with plasma γ-tocopherol only, while none of the foods or food groups investigated significantly affected the plasma levels of either of the two tocopherols. These findings need to be confirmed before attempts are made to use them in the context of explanatory mechanistic processes.

*Corresponding author: Dr Antonia Trichopoulou, fax +30 1 746 2079, email antonia@nut.uoa.gr

Keywords:
Retinol: α-Tocopherol: γ-Tocopherol: Diet