DO HYDROXY-CAROTENOIDS PREVENT CORONARY HEART-DISEASE - A COMPARISON BETWEEN BELFAST AND TOULOUSE

High intakes of antioxidants in fruit, vegetables and wine are thought to protect against coronary heart disease (CHD). Because people in To ulouse have a much lower incidence of CHD compared with Belfast, the p lasma concentrations of antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids in the tw o populations have been compared. The major difference was in some of the plasma carotenoids. Hydroxy-carotenoids were twice as high in Toul ouse in both sexes, notably lutein which occurs principally in dark gr een vegetables and beta-cryptoxanthin which occurs chiefly in citrus f ruits. In addition, alpha-carotene was 50% higher in Toulouse, gamma-t ocopherol was 50% higher in Belfast. Other plasma vitamins and caroten oids were nor significantly different. If antioxidants play a role in preventing CHD, then the hydroxy-carotenoids are major candidates for further investigation.