The CARO Study - Bioefficacy of Beta-Carotene in Oil and in a Mixed Diet in Healthy Subjects

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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A controlled dietary intervention study will be carried out based on the stable isotope method the investigators have developed to quantify both the absorption of beta-carotene and its bioconversion to retinol in oil and in a mixed diet. For 6 weeks the participants will consume 2 capsules/day, 7 days/week with each capsule containing 50-mg [13C10] beta-carotene and 50-mg [13C10] retinyl palmitate. For three weeks they will consume a diet with high levels of beta-carotene in vegetables and fruits and for the other 3 weeks they will consume a diet with low levels of beta-carotene in vegetables and fruits supplemented with an extra amount of beta-carotene in oil. Samples of blood and faeces will be taken. The study hypothesis is that the absorption of beta-carotene in oil in comparison with the absorption of beta-carotene in a mixed diet differs by a factor of 3 to 6. The investigators want to measure the influence of the food matrix of vegetables and fruits on the absorption of beta-carotene in healthy humans on a western diet.

Official Title
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Bioefficacy and Bioavailability of Beta-Carotene in Oil and in a Mixed Diet in Healthy Subjects Measured Using Specifically 13C-Labelled Beta-Carotene and Retinol

Conditions
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Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: absorption and conversion of beta-carotene in human gastrointestinal (GI) tract


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Men and women between 18 and 50 years old Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 25 kg/m2 Willing to consume the controlled diet and not consume other food items Willing to consume the cooked meal at the research facility and the bread meals and snacks at home (distributed to the participants) Willing to consume the capsules every day Exclusion Criteria: Hematological diseases and chronic diseases including cancer, renal insufficiency, liver disease, diagnosed gastrointestinal disorders, or surgery of the gastrointestinal tract Use of (oral) drugs suspected of interfering with fat-soluble-vitamin absorption Smoking Excessive alcohol consumption (>30 g/d) Consumption of vitamin or carotenoid supplements 6 weeks before and during the study Not too low or high levels of serum beta-carotene and retinol Normal hemoglobin, hemocytometry, creatinine, ALAT, alkaline phosphatase, and cholesterol blood values (compared with laboratory references) Pregnancy

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 50 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Behavioral: absorption and conversion of beta-carotene in human gastrointestinal (GI) tract|nan|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| levels of retinol and carotenoids and the degree of isotopic enrichment in serum (fasting blood sample) and in faeces (72 hour collection) at the start and at the end of each of the 3-week periods |  |  | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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vitamin A, beta Carotene, diet, nutrition, nutritional requirements