Dietary habits are major determinants of the plasma antioxidant status in healthy elderly subjects

Abstract

Previous studies indicate that regular consumption of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk for age-related diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the often-reported age-related decrease of plasma antioxidants in man depends on differences in dietary intake or on other age-and gender-related factors. In this observational case-control study, thirty-nine community-dwelling healthy subjects aged 65 years and older consuming high intakes of fruits and vegetables daily (HI) and forty-eight healthy subjects aged 65 and older consuming low intakes of fruit and vegetables daily (LI) were enrolled. Plasma levels of retinol, tocopherols, carotenoids and malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as content of protein carbonyls in Ig G were measured. Plasma levels of retinol, tocopherols and carotenoids were significantly higher in group HI than in group LI subjects independent of age and gender. MDA levels were inversely correlated with vitamin A and a-carotene. Protein carbonyls were inversely correlated with g-tocopherol. In the elderly, a higher daily intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with an improved antioxidant status in comparison to subjects consuming diets poor in fruits and vegetables. Modification of nutritional habits among other lifestyle changes should be encouraged to lower prevalence of disease risk factors in later life. Ageing: Antioxidants: Nutrition: PreventionIn developed countries, it is estimated that the percentage of subjects aged 60 years and older will increase from 19 % currently to almost 40 % in year 2050 (Tinker, 2002). Important with this trend is that the older population is itself ageing: according to the US Census Bureau, the group of very old people (aged 80 years and older) is projected to grow as much as eight to ten times on the global scale between 1950 and 2050. Most chronic diseases manifest in this later stage of life. Until the 1970s, it was thought that disease risk could not significantly increase after a certain advanced age. Therefore, there should be no benefit in changing habits including diet after 80 years of age (Lasheras et al. 2000). To date it is well known that the incidence of several age-related and nutrition-dependent degenerative diseases keeps increasing even in the eldest portion of the population.Previous epidemiologic studies have consistently shown that diet has been implicated in the incidence of six out of ten of the leading causes of death of Americans (Department of Health and Human Services, 1988), and that it plays a crucial role in the prevention of age-related chronic diseases (DarntonHill et al. 2004) as well as in the control of cardiovascular risk factors such as LDL cholesterol (Djoussé et al. 2004). Bioactive compounds like antioxidants, mostly contained in fruits and vegetables (Lampe, 1999), play a particularly important role in the protection against oxidative and nitrative stresses. These processes have been associated with the ageing process and the pathophysiology of age-related illne...

Association between oxidative stress and nutritional status in the elderly

“…85 A study has shown that greater ingestion of fruits and vegetables is associated with lower lipid peroxidation, as well as a higher plasmatic concentration of lipophilic antioxidants (β-carotene, α-tocopherol and lycopene). 86 Recent work has verified the positive associated between consumption of foods rich in antioxidant substances and plasmatic levels of α-tocopherol, vitamin C and total antioxidant activity. 87 On the other hand, a positive correlation was not verified between the ingestion of foods that are a source of β-carotene and plasmatic levels of this antioxidant in elderly residents of a community in Ireland.…”

Nutritional contributions to dementia prevention: main issues on antioxidant micronutrients

“…In this study, lycopene, a powerful antioxidant carotenoid, was associated with several measures of cognitive performance. Previous studies showed that levels of circulating carotenoids, among other micronutrients, are associated with fruit and vegetable intake in the healthy elderly (Anlasik et al 2005). In addition, plasma levels of carotenoids and other micronutrients might be increased through a nutritional interventional program with high intakes of fruits and vegetables (Polidori et al 2009b).…”

Collaborative Management of Neurocognitive Disorders in Primary Care: Explorations of an Attempt at Culture Change

“…22,23 Four cohort studies have been conducted in the past decade that collectively suggest an inverse relation between risk of MaND and vegetable and fruit consumption. [24][25][26][27] According to the National Institutes of Health, the Three-City Cohort Study 28 showed a risk reduction in MaND by about 30% in daily consumers of fruits and vegetables compared with subjects rarely consuming fruits and vegetables. In the Esprit study, consumption of fewer than 2 portions of fruits and vegetables per day was associated with a significantly higher risk of MiND and MaND compared with subjects consuming more than 2 portions.…”