Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
Volume 56, Issue 3, Pages 1045-1052Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s00394-016-1152-x
Keywords
Telomere; Oxidative stress; Carotenoid; Antioxidant
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Funding
- National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) - Ministry of Education, Science and Technology [2015R1A1A3A04000923, 2015R1D1A1A01059048]
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Purpose Telomere length is a biomarker for aging. It is known that oxidative stress can accelerate telomere shortening, whereas antioxidants can delay their shortening. Carotenoids as antioxidants are favorably associated with health-and aging-related diseases caused by oxidative stress, but their association with telomere length is less certain. We investigated the association between blood carotenoid levels and leukocyte telomere length in a representative sample of US adults. Methods We analyzed 3660 participants aged 20 years and older in the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The levels of carotenoids-alphacarotene, beta-carotene (trans + cis), beta-cryptoxanthin, combined lutein/zeaxanthin, and trans-lycopene-were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. The leukocyte telomere length (T/S ratio) was assayed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. Results A doubling of blood alpha-carotene, beta-carotene (trans + cis), and beta-cryptoxanthin was associated with approximately 2 % longer telomeres. Compared with the lowest carotenoid quartile of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene (trans + cis), and beta-cryptoxanthin, telomere length for adults with the highest quartiles was significantly increased by 5-8 %. Conclusion We found that increasing levels of blood carotenoid were significantly associated with longer leukocyte telomeres in US adults. High intake of carotenoid-rich food may play a role in protecting telomeres and regulating telomere length.
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