Lm. Canfield et al., BETA-CAROTENE IN BREAST-MILK AND SERUM IS INCREASED AFTER A SINGLE BETA-CAROTENE DOSE, The American journal of clinical nutrition, 66(1), 1997, pp. 52-61
Normal lactating mothers were administered a single dose of 60 or 210
mg beta-carotene and changes in serum and mill; retinol, alpha-tocophe
rol, and carotenoids were monitored for 8 d. Average serum beta-carote
ne concentrations increased 4.1- and 4.0-fold after the 60- and 210-mg
doses, respectively. Milk beta-carotene concentrations increased 4.1-
and 3.0-fold after the 60- and 210-mg doses, respectively. Maximum se
rum concentrations were reached 24 h after both supplements, although
concentrations of milk beta-carotene continued to rise for 2-3 d. Afte
r 8 d, both serum and milk beta-carotene concentrations remained about
twofold higher than baseline concentrations. Increases in serum or mi
ll; beta-carotene concentrations were not dose-dependent. Initial seru
m and milk concentrations of beta-carotene predicted increases after s
upplementation, and increases in serum beta-carotene concentrations pr
edicted those in milk. Concentrations of milk carotenoids were less th
an one-tenth their respective concentrations in serum. Lutein, beta-cr
yptoxanthin, lycopene, alpha-carotene, retinol, and alpha-tocopherol c
oncentrations in serum or milk did not change significantly after beta
-carotene supplementation. Retinol esters account for most of the reti
nol equivalents in the milk of well-nourished mothers. Initial and max
imum concentrations of beta-carotene in serum and milk were strongly c
orrelated for individual mothers. Collectively, the data showed that a
single 60-mg supplement of beta-carotene sustained elevated beta-caro
tene concentrations in serum and milk for >1 wk in normal mothers but
did not affect concentrations of other major carotenoids, retinol, or
alpha-tocopherol.