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Title: Total antioxidant performance is associated with diet and serum antioxidants in participants of the diet and physical activity substudy of the jackson heart study

Author
item TALEGAWKAR, SAMEERA - Tufts University
item BERETTA, GIANGIACOMO - University Of Milan
item YEUM, KYUNG-JIN - Tufts University
item JOHNSON, ELIZABETH - Tufts University
item CARITHERS, TERESA - Jackson Heart Study
item TAYLOR, JR, HERMAN - Tufts University
item RUSSELL, ROBERT - Tufts University
item TUCKER, KATHERINE - Tufts University

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/6/2009
Publication Date: 8/26/2009
Citation: Talegawkar, S.A., Beretta, G., Yeum, K., Johnson, E.J., Carithers, T.C., Taylor, Jr, H.A., Russell, R.M., Tucker, K.M. Total antioxidant performance is associated with diet and serum antioxidants in participants of the diet and physical activity substudy of the jackson heart study. Journal of Nutrition. 139:1964-1971.

Interpretive Summary: Antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta carotene have been shown to lower risk of diseases caused by oxidative stress in the body. Studying overall antioxidant status versus a single antioxidant status may be more beneficial since interactions within each other exist. This study used the total antioxidant performance (TAP) method to examine the levels in a physical activity subset sample of the Jackson Heart Study among 420 African American men and women. This also examined its relation with dietary and total intakes of vitamin E, beta carotene, vitamin C, fruits, vegetables and nuts. There was a positive relation between vitamin E, beta carotene, vitamin C and TAP and this was also shown for fruits, vegetables and nuts. In examining the nutrients, vitamin E was shown to be related to TAP levels but not beta carotene. Perhaps increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables and nuts could be considered in order to increase the total antioxidant capacity.

Technical Abstract: Total antioxidant performance (TAP) measures antioxidant capacities in both hydrophilic and lipophilic compartments of serum and interactions known to exist between them. Our objective was to assess TAP levels in a subset of Jackson Heart Study (JHS) participants and to examine associations with dietary and total (diet + supplement) intakes of alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol (diet only), beta-carotene, vitamin C, fruit, vegetables, and nuts, and serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, and beta-carotene. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 420 (mean age 61 y; 254 women) African American men and women participating in the Diet and Physical Activity Sub-Study of the JHS in Jackson, Mississippi. In multivariate-adjusted models, we observed positive associations between total alpha-tocopherol, total and dietary beta-carotene, and total vitamin C intakes and TAP levels (P-trend < 0.05). Positive associations were also observed for vegetable, fruit, and total fruit and vegetable intakes (P-trend < 0.05). For serum antioxidant nutrients, alpha-tocopherol but not beta-carotene was associated with serum TAP levels. There were inverse associations for serum gamma-tocopherol and TAP levels. Associations for alpha-tocopherol were seen at intake levels much higher than the current Recommended Dietary Allowance. It may, therefore, be prudent to focus on increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds to increase total antioxidant capacity.