(P13-037-24) Evaluation of Potential Indicators of Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among U.S. Adults From NHANES 1988-1994 and 2001-2006

Objectives: Numerous studies have shown the health benefits of fruit and vegetable (FV) intake; however, accurately assessing individual’s FV consumption remains challenging. Although circulating blood carotenoids and vitamin C have been proposed as surrogate markers of overall FV intake, research in this area still needs further validation in large-scale populations and their sociodemographic subgroups. Therefore, this study aims to validate the dietary and blood levels of candidate nutrients as a proxy indicator of FV intake in a representative subsample of U.S. adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized dietary and blood data from U.S. adults aged 19 and over who participated in NHANES 1988-1994 (n=16,001) and 2001-2006 (n=13,902). Participants’ dietary intakes of FV, carotenoids, retinol, vitamin C, and potassium were calculated based on food consumption data from a 24-hour dietary recall while blood nutrient levels assessed as part of NHANES have been used for the analysis. The correlations between FV intake and dietary and blood levels of selected nutrients were calculated using Pearson’s correlation analysis.

Results: The average daily FV intake among U.S. adults was 357.3 g in 1988-1994 and 347.8 g in 2001-2006. Higher FV intake was observed in older adults, non-smokers, dietary supplement users, and individuals with a poverty-income ratio ≥1.85. FV intake was positively correlated with dietary intakes of total carotenoids, individual carotenoids, vitamin C, and potassium and the correlations remained significant after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and BMI. Serum levels of total carotenoids, individual carotenoids, retinol, vitamin C, and potassium also showed significant positive correlations with FV intake. Subgroup analyses validated these patterns, highlighting the consistent correlation between FV intake and key dietary and blood nutrient levels across different population segments such as gender, age, and ethnicity.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that total carotenoids, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and vitamin C may serve as valid proxy indicators of FV intake among U.S. adults.

Funding Sources: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.