Lifestyle behaviours and plasma vitamin C and β -carotene levels from the ELAN population (Liège,Belgium)

Several factors,including fruit and vegetables intakes,have been shown to significantly influence the plasma concentrations of the two antioxidants vitamin c and β-carotene. deficiency levels of 6 mg/l (34.2 m) for vitamin c and of 0.22 mg/l (0.4 m) for β-carotene have been suggested below which cardiovascular risk might be increased. the present study performed on 897 presumably healthy subjects aged 40-60 years aimed to examine how modifiable lifestyle factors may be related to vitamin c and/or β-carotene deficiency. gender,smoking,lack of regular physical activity and of daily fruit consumption (≥2/day),and social status (in particular,unemployment) were found to be significant risk factors for vitamin c deficiency. for β-carotene deficiency,the same factors were identified except social status; moreover,overweight and oc use in women were also found to have a deleterious effect. for non exposed subjects,the probability of developing vitamin c deficiency was 4% in men and 2.4% in women. this probability increased to 66.3% for men and to 44.3% for women (and even to 50.4% under oc use),when all risk factors were present. for β-carotene deficiency,the corresponding probabilities were equal to 29.7% in men and 13.7% in women (no risk factor present),and to 86.1% for men and 69.9% (91.6% for oc use) for women (all factors present),respectively. © 2011 joël pincemail et al.