Skin caretenoids measured by reflection spectroscopy correlate with dietary carotenoid intake in racially and ethnically diverse US toddlers from Houston, Texas

Authors: VARGHESE, VARSHA - Baylor College Of Medicine; CEPNI, ALIYE - University Of Houston; CHANG, JOCELYN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); KIM, HANJOE - Yonsei University; MORAN, NANCY - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); LEDOUX, TRACEY - University Of Houston

Submitted to: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/25/2023
Publication Date: 10/29/2023
Citation: Varghese, V., Cepni, A.B., Chang, J., Kim, H., Moran, N.E., Ledoux, T.A. 2023. Skin caretenoids measured by reflection spectroscopy correlate with dietary carotenoid intake in racially and ethnically diverse US toddlers from Houston, Texas. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2023.10.015.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2023.10.015

Interpretive Summary: Determining what young children eat is important for monitoring their diet quality and nutritional health. However, it is challenging to determine what young children eat because of their inability to recall and recite this information. Carotenoids are colorful compounds found in fruits in vegetables which are absorbed and are distributed to human skin. Skin carotenoid concentrations can be measured non-invasively using an optical device to provide a biomarker for fruit and vegetable intake in adults. However, in order to use this biomarker for monitoring changes in fruit and vegetable intake of the population, the robustness of the measure must be confirmed in different populations. The purpose of this study was to determine if skin carotenoid measures are related to fruit, vegetable, fruit and vegetable, and carotenoid intake in children 12-36 months of age. This study found that young children’s skin carotenoid measurements were positively related to their reported intake of total carotenoids, intake of specific carotenoids, beta-carotene and lutein & zeaxanthin (combined), fruit and vegetable intake (combined), and vegetable intake, but was not related to fruit intake. These results suggest that skin carotenoid measurements may provide a rapid and non-invasive means of monitoring a young child's carotenoid and vegetable intake.

Technical Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy-measured skin carotenoid score (SCS) with proxy-reported carotenoid and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in racially and ethnically diverse US toddlers. This study was a secondary analysis of data obtained from a randomized controlled 10-week study of the effect of an interactive healthy playgroup intervention vs classroom parent education on the diet and physical activity of toddlers. This study collected skin carotenoid and 1-week dietary intake using a 31-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire analyzed by the Nutrient Data System for Research nutrient database. The current study determined dietary predictors of toddler SCS. Participants were racially and ethnically diverse US toddlers (12 to 36 months) and adult guardian dyads (n = 50) recruited from the community in Houston, TX from fall 2018 to spring 2019. At baseline and 10 to 12 weeks after baseline, SCS was measured by means of pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy (Veggie Meter, Longevity Link Corporation), guardians reported toddler diet using a food frequency questionnaire, and carotenoid intake was estimated from the food frequency questionnaire responses using a nutrient database. The relationship between toddler SCS and intake of total and individual carotenoid species and FV servings was tested using generalized linear mixed models, controlling for body mass index-for-age percentiles, group assignment, and age. SCS was positively and significantly predicted by estimated intakes of total carotenoids (P = .002), beta-carotene (P = .001), and lutein and zeaxanthin (P = .003). Reported intakes of a-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene were not predictors of SCS. SCS was predicted by estimated total FV intake (P = .047) and vegetable intake (P = .006), but not fruit intake (P = .580). These results showed that reported dietary carotenoid intake is a significant predictor of SCS in an ethnically and racially diverse population of US toddlers. Toddler skin carotenoid measurement holds promise as a rapid, objective, noninvasive biomarker of dietary carotenoid intake.