Abstract
The serum concentration ofβ-carotene is an indicator of the carotenoid intake level in the individual1, 2) as β-carotene is a principal component of the carotenoids, which are found mainly in green-yellow vegetables and some fruits. Recently, epidemiological studies have shown that the incidence of squamous lung cancer, which is known to be induced by smoking, is lower in persons with a higher intake of green-yellow vegetables3, 4), and that the serum concentration of β-Carotene is lower in lung cancer patients than in controls3-8). Nomura et al.8) showed, from a case-control study performed in Hawaii, that the serum level of β-carotene was lower in smokers than in nonsmokers. We have shown in a cross-sectional study that serum β-carotene levels are lower in inhabitants with habits of smoking and/or alcohol drinkinge9). It is also reported that alcohol consumption leads to a lower intake of nutrients such as vitamins10) and that chronic cigarette smoking is associated with decreased levels of plasma vitamin C and retinol11). However, the effect of alcohol consumption on the serum, β-carotene level in a general cancer-free population has not been reported.
In this study, the effects of the consumption of alcohol and cigarette smoking, and the frequency of the intake of certain foods on serum concentrations of α- and β-carotenes in healthy male adults are examined.
