DO DIETARY AND SUPPLEMENTARY INTAKES OF ANTIOXIDANTS DIFFER WITH SMOKING STATUS

Background. Differences in dietary and supplementary intake of antioxi dants were determined between different categories of smokers and neve r-smokers. Methods. Data from a large, cross-sectional, population-bas ed study were used. Subjects (n = 4244) were divided into five smoking categories according to the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Diff erences in intake of antioxidants or frequency of supplement use were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis and multiple logist ic regression analysis, adjusting for potential confounders such as ag e, body mass index, educational level, alcohol intake, and total energ y intake. Results. Men who smoked >20 cigarettes/day had significantly lower intakes of beta-carotene and especially ascorbic acid compared to those who never smoked, resulting from an almost 60% lower fruit in take. Moderate and heavy smoking women also had lower ascorbic acid an d fruit intake but differences were not as large as in men. A higher p ercentage of female heavy smokers compared with never-smokers consumed vitamin C (21.1% versus 14.1%), vitamin E (5.6% versus 1.8%), and mul tivitamin supplements (18.5% versus 12.2%). Among men only the moderat e smokers differed significantly from never-smokers in supplement inta ke, in the sense that male moderate smokers had a higher percentage of multivitamin use (15.3% versus 12.2%) compared to never-smokers. Conc lusions. Male heavy smokers not only have a lower dietary antioxidant intake than never-smokers, but additionally seem to use supplementatio n relatively infrequently.