Adolescent Carotenoid Intake and Benign Breast Disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Carotenoids may reduce risk of benign breast disease (BBD), an independent risk factor for breast cancer, through antioxidative or antiproliferative mechanisms. Exposure to carotenoids may be most important during adolescence when breast tissue is still developing. We examined adolescent carotenoid intake in relation to BBD in young women. METHODS: In 6593 adolescent girls in the prospective Growing Up Today Study cohort, intakes of α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, and lycopene were assessed by using the means from food-frequency questionnaires in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Girls reported biopsy-confirmed BBD on questionnaires in 2005, 2007, and 2010 (n = 122). We conducted logistic regression of energy-adjusted carotenoid intakes in relation to BBD, adjusted for age, family history of breast cancer or BBD, age at menarche, nulliparity, alcohol intake, BMI, and physical activity. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age at baseline was 12.0 (1.6) years. β-Carotene intake was inversely associated with BBD; comparing the highest to lowest quartile, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio was 0.58 (95% confidence interval: 0.34–1.00; P-trend = .03). α-Carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin were also inversely associated with BBD, but the associations were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent carotenoid intake may be associated with lower BBD risk; these findings warrant further study.

Intakes of fat and micronutrients between ages 13 and 18 years and the incidence of proliferative benign breast disease

“…Our null results are inconsistent with some of the results of our previous retrospective study of adolescent diet and proliferative BBD risk in this population [29], findings on adolescent diet and BBD in the Growing Up Today Study [38, 39], as well as results of adolescent diet and breast cancer in the NHS and NHSII [27, 28]. In these previous studies, adolescent vegetable fat, carotenoids, and vitamin E intakes were associated with a reduced risk of BBD and breast cancer [27–29, 38, 39].…”

“…Non-differential measurement error in recalled diet would most likely attenuate associations towards the null; thus, we cannot rule out modest true associations. Recently, inverse associations were observed between intakes of vegetable protein, vegetable fat, and carotenoids actually collected during adolescence, and BBD in the prospective Growing Up Today Study [38, 39]. In addition, we previously observed associations of vitamin D, nuts, and fiber with BBD risk, indicating that our questionnaire assessed these foods/nutrients adequately enough to allow for a detectable association [31, 36].…”

“…In these previous studies, adolescent vegetable fat, carotenoids, and vitamin E intakes were associated with a reduced risk of BBD and breast cancer [27–29, 38, 39]. However, the previous associations with BBD were only borderline significant [e.g., highest vs. lowest quartile of vegetable fat: RR=0.77 (95% CI: 0.56, 1.06, p-trend=0.15); vitamin E: RR=0.79 (95% CI: 0.61, 1.04, p-trend=0.05) in final models] [29], and in the breast cancer analysis by Frazier et al (2004), the association with vegetable fat was no longer significant after adjusting for vitamin E, suggesting that the observed associations in those analyses may have been attributable to vitamin E or other dietary factors [28].…”

Hen egg carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) and nutritional impacts on human health: a review

“…Overall number of preclinical and observational research studies regarding the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in prevention or reducing the intensity of different cancers continues to evolve from basic research as well as from human studies. These studies directed to bioavailability, metabolism, and dose-response relationships with intermediary biomarkers and clinical outcomes to determine and verify the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in controlling tumor growth in humans (Bertone et al, 2001;Boeke et al, 2014;Chew & Park, 2004;Cho et al, 2003;de Munter, Maasland, van Nkondjock & Ghadirian, 2004;Silvera, Jain, Howe, Miller, & Rohan, 2006;Wang et al, 2014;Yuan, Stam, Arakawa, Lee, & Yu, 2003;Zhang et al, 1999). Although scientific evidence in support of the beneficial role of egg yolk carotenoids in prevention or reducing the intensity of AMD and CVD and neurodegeneration are substantial, research findings about the role of egg carotenoids on different cancers are inconclusive or inconsistent and warranted further research studies, meta-analyzes, to confirm the advantageous effect of egg carotenoids.…”

Breast cancer risk accumulation starts early: prevention must also

“…Factors that increase the risk of BBD include lean body fatness during childhood or adolescence[34], more rapid height growth [35], and alcohol intake [36,37]. Dietary factors such as vegetable protein, vegetable fat, peanut butter, and nuts, as well as carotenoids may reduce the risk of BBD in young women [38-40]. …”