The Independent Association of Smoking and Drinking with Serum β-Carotene Levels among Males in Miyagi, Japan

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicated that serum beta-carotene levels were low among smokers and drinkers. However these findings may result from the strong relationship between smoking and drinking. METHODS: Data were collected from 1902 males randomly selected from participants of a cohort study. The effects of smoking on serum beta-carotene levels were assessed according to drinking status (non-drinker, ex-drinker and current drinker), and those of drinking were assessed according to smoking status (ex-smoker and current smoker) using general linear model including other factors (age, intake of green-yellow vegetables, intake of carrot or pumpkin, body mass index serum cholesterol levels.) RESULTS: An inverse dose-response relationship between daily consumption of alcohol and beta-carotene levels was observed regardless of smoking status, and also between number of cigarettes smoked per day and beta-carotene levels regardless of drinking status. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking reduce beta-carotene levels independently.