Plasma concentrations of retinol, tocopherols, carotenoids, and platelet fatty acids in a group of female Iowa centenarians

Twenty‐four rural and small‐town Midwestern centenarian women (98.4 ± 3.4 y, X ± SD) (range 95–108 y) were studied for dietary intake, plasma values of retinol, retinol‐binding protein, tocopherols, carotenoids, and platelet fatty acids. Dietary intake provided an average energy intake of 1,710 kcal, 71 g protein, 58 g fat, and 235 g carbohydrate. Mean plasma retinol concentration was 1.95 ± 0.52 μMol. Plasma retinol and retinol‐binding protein (RBP) values were highly correlated (r = 0.982); mean percent saturation of RBP was 78%. α‐Tocopherol concentration was 27.8 ± 11.1 μMol; γ‐tocopherol concentration was 5.23 ± 2.12 μMol. The major plasma carotenoids were β‐carotene (0.44 ± 0.21 uMol), lycopene (0.43 ± 0.20 μMol), lutein (0.32 ± 0.17 μMol), and α‐carotene (0.15 ± 0.06 μMol). There were significant positive correlations between dietary 20:4 and platelet 18:0 FAs, dietary 20:4 and serum LDL cholesterol, platelet 18:1 (%FA) and serum HDL‐cholesterol. There were positive significant correlations between serum total cholesterol and retinol, RBP, γ‐tocopherol, lutein, α‐carotene, β‐carotene and platelet 18:2 (% FA). All values were within normal ranges, confirming that adequate nutritional status can be maintained in centenarians. Supported by the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station and the Nutrition and Wellness Research Center at Iowa State University.