Carotenoids and rheumatoid arthritis risk in two population studies
What it found
In two large population studies, people with higher carotenoid intake or blood levels tended to have lower odds of rheumatoid arthritis.
The link was strongest at moderate intakes, with a U-shaped pattern in the UK cohort.
What they found
Studies in people
Dietary alpha-carotene
In NHANES, people in the third quartile of alpha-carotene intake had lower odds of rheumatoid arthritis than those in the lowest quartile. A similar link was seen in UK Biobank.
Serum carotenoids
In NHANES, people in the highest quartile of blood levels of all six carotenoids had lower odds of rheumatoid arthritis compared with the lowest quartile.
Combined carotenoid effect
Each one-quartile increase in combined intake or blood levels of the six carotenoids was linked to lower odds of rheumatoid arthritis in NHANES.
U-shaped pattern
In UK Biobank, total-carotene, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene showed a U-shaped link with rheumatoid arthritis risk. Protective effects were seen at moderate intakes, while very low or very high intakes were linked to higher risk.
Subgroup differences
The link was stronger in people over 60, those who were physically active, and those without diabetes or hypertension. Lycopene was more strongly linked in women, while beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin were more strongly linked in men.
What the authors conclude
“Both cross-sectional and prospective studies indicate that carotenoids, as natural and effective anti-inflammatory antioxidants, were negatively associated with RA.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that carotenoids, as natural and effective anti-inflammatory antioxidants, were negatively associated with rheumatoid arthritis in both cross-sectional and prospective studies.
- They state that daily intake of an appropriate dose can significantly reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
- They call for further exploration of the mechanisms by which different types of carotenoid supplements may aid in the prevention or adjunctive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
How it was done
Carotenoids are common natural anti-inflammatory antioxidants, but there were limited reports on their link to rheumatoid arthritis risk. The authors wanted to explore this association.
They analyzed data from NHANES (40,410 people for dietary intake and 13,440 for serum levels) and UK Biobank (179,171 people, of whom 2,156 developed rheumatoid arthritis over a median follow-up of 7.74 years). They used statistical models to look at single and combined effects of six carotenoids.
What it can’t tell you
- The NHANES part was cross-sectional, so it can show a link but not cause and effect.
- The UK Biobank part followed people over time, so it can show a link but not prove that carotenoids cause the lower risk.
- Dietary intake was self-reported, which may lead to recall bias or measurement error.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China; Medical and Health Science and Technology Program of Zhejiang Province; Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Program of Zhejiang Province; Youth Talent Support Program of Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Association; Natural Science Youth Exploration Program of Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: NHANES prior to data collection, all study procedures were authorized by the Ethics Review Board of the National Center for Health Statistics, and all participants signed informed consent forms. UK Biobank received ethical approval from the National Health Service (NHS) North West Centre for Research Ethics Committee (11/NW/0382). Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, China
The paper
- Title
- Associations between carotenoids and rheumatoid arthritis risk: evidence from two population-based studies
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Jing X, Lv M, Chen Y, et al (2026). Associations between carotenoids and rheumatoid arthritis risk: evidence from two population-based studies. Nutrition journal. doi:10.1186/s12937-026-01333-7Free full textPubMed 42141470DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error