Systematic review of carotenoid concentrations in human milk and infant blood.

Concentrations of the major dietary carotenoids-β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and α-carotene-have been reported in both infant blood and human milk across infant ages and lactation stages, with β-carotene, lutein, and lycopene tending to be more abundant than other carotenoids. Despite heterogeneous amounts of data available for each outcome, infants worldwide are exposed to a variety of dietary carotenoids. The estimates of dietary carotenoids in human milk and infant blood can facilitate the interpretation of future studies and the design of nutritionally relevant experiments on dietary carotenoids and infant health.