Occurrence of deoxynivalenol in an elderly cohort in the UK: a biomonitoring approach.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a Fusarium toxin, to which humans are frequently exposed via diet. Although the elderly are speculated to be sensitive to the toxic effects of DON as a result of age-related conditions, disease and altered DON metabolism, there is lack of available data on DON biomarkers in this age group. This study characterised urinary DON concentrations and its metabolites in elderly aged ≥65years (n = 20) residing in Hull, UK. Morning urinary specimens were collected over two consecutive days together with food records to assess dietary intake over a 24h-period prior to each urinary collection. Free DON (un-metabolised), total DON (sum of free DON and DON-glucuronides or DON-GlcA) and de-epoxy deoxynivalenol (DOM-1) were analysed using a validated LC-MS/MS methodology. Total DON above the limit of quantification 0.25 ng/mL was detected in the urine from 90% of elderly men and women on both days. Mean total DON concentrations on day 1 were not different from those on day 2 (elderly men, day 1: 22.2 ± 26.3 ng/mg creatinine (creat), day 2: 28.0 ± 34.4 ng/mg creat, p = 0.95; elderly women, day 1: 22.4 ± 14.6 ng/mg creat, day 2: 29.1 ± 22.8 ng/mg creat, p = 0.58). Free DON and DON-GlcA were detected in 60-70% and 90% of total urine samples, respectively. DOM-1 was absent from all samples; the LoQ for DOM-1 was 0.50 ng/mL. Estimated dietary intake of DON suggested that 10% of the elderly exceeded the maximum provisional tolerable daily intake for DON. In this single-site, UK-based cohort, elderly were frequently exposed to DON, although mean total DON concentrations were reported at moderate levels. Future larger studies are required to investigate DON exposure in elderly from different regions of the UK, but also from different counties worldwide.

Assessment of Urinary Deoxynivalenol Biomarkers in UK Children and Adolescents.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), the mycotoxin produced mainly by Fusarium graminearum and found in contaminated cereal-based foodstuff, has been consistently detected in body fluids in adults. Available data in children and adolescents are scarce. This study assessed urinary DON concentrations in children aged 3-9 years (n = 40) and adolescents aged 10-17 years (n = 39) in the UK. Morning urine samples were collected over two consecutive days and analysed for free DON (un-metabolised form), DON-glucuronides (DON-GlcA), deepoxy deoxynivalenol (DOM-1), and total DON (sum of free DON, DON-GlcA, and DOM-1). Total DON was detected in the urine of >95% of children and adolescents on both days. Mean total DON concentrations (ng/mg creatinine) were 41.6 and 21.0 for children and adolescents, respectively. The greatest total DON levels were obtained in female children on both days (214 and 219 ng/mg creatinine on days 1 and 2, respectively). Free DON and DON-GlcA were detected in most urine specimens, whereas DOM-1 was not present in any sample. Estimation of dietary DON exposure suggested that 33-63% of children and 5-46% of adolescents exceeded current guidance regarding the maximum provisional tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) for DON. Although moderate mean urinary DON concentrations were shown, the high detection frequency of urinary DON, the maximum biomarker concentrations, and estimated dietary DON exposure are concerning.

Deoxynivalenol Biomarkers in the Urine of UK Vegetarians.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is produced by Fusarium graminearum and is one of the most commonly occurring trichothecenes. Vegetarians are alleged to be a high-risk group for DON exposure due to high intakes of cereals susceptible to the growth of the mycotoxin. This study provides the levels of DON and de-epoxi Deoxynivalenol (DOM-1) in urine analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in UK vegetarians. Over two consecutive days, morning urine samples were collected from 32 vegetarians and 31 UK adult volunteers, and associated food consumption 24 h prior to the sample was recorded. Statistically significant differences between the weight of the UK adults and vegetarians (t = 3.15. df = 61, p ≤ 0.005 two-tailed) were observed. The mean levels of DON in urine for adults on day 1 was 3.05 ng free DON/mg creatinine, and on day 2 was 2.98 ng free DON/mg creatinine. Even though high mean levels were observed, most adults were within the tolerable daily intake. However, for vegetarians, the mean level of urinary DON on day 1 was 6.69 ng free DON/mg creatinine, and on day 2 was 3.42 ng free DON/mg creatinine. These levels equate to up to 32% of vegetarians exceeding recommended tolerable daily intakes (TDI) of exposure (1 µg/kg b.w./day).

Determination of Deoxynivalenol in the Urine of Pregnant Women in the UK.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most commonly occurring trichothecenes, produced mainly by Fusarium graminearum. Little is known about the effect of DON exposure or the levels of DON exposure that occur during pregnancy. The project aimed to provide data on levels of total DON and de-epoxi Deoxynivalenol (DOM-1) in pregnant human urine samples analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Morning urine samples were collected over two consecutive days from 42 volunteers and associated food consumption was recorded for the 24 h prior to the sample. Spearman's rho non-parametric test for correlation was used to assess the data. Levels of DON did not differ significantly between day 1 (mean 29.7 ng/mL urine or 40.1 ng DON/mg creatinine) and day 2 (mean 28.7 ng/mL urine or 38.8 ng DON/mg creatinine ng/mL/day) urine samples. The only significant positive correlation was found between total ng DON/mg creatinine and parity (rho = 0.307, n = 42, p < 0.005 two-tailed) and total ng DON/mg creatinine with baked goods on day 1 (rho = 0.532, n = 42, p < 0.0005 two-tailed). This study provides data on the DON levels in pregnancy in this suburban population and reassurance that those levels are within acceptable limits.

Maternal alcohol intake prior to and during pregnancy and risk of adverse birth outcomes: evidence from a British cohort.

BACKGROUND: Evidence is conflicting regarding the relationship between low maternal alcohol consumption and birth outcomes. This paper aimed to investigate the association between alcohol intake before and during pregnancy with birth weight and gestational age and to examine the effect of timing of exposure. METHODS: A prospective cohort in Leeds, UK, of 1303 pregnant women aged 18-45 years. Questionnaires assessed alcohol consumption before pregnancy and for the three trimesters separately. Categories of alcohol consumption were divided into ≤2 units/week and >2 units/week with a non-drinking category as referent. This was related to size at birth and preterm delivery, adjusting for confounders including salivary cotinine as a biomarker of smoking status. RESULTS: Nearly two-thirds of women before pregnancy and over half in the first trimester reported alcohol intakes above the Department of Health (UK) guidelines of ≤2 units/week. Associations with birth outcomes were strongest for intakes >2 units/week before pregnancy and in trimesters 1 and 2 compared to non-drinkers. Even women adhering to the guidelines in the first trimester were at significantly higher risk of having babies with lower birth weight, lower birth centile and preterm birth compared to non-drinkers, after adjusting for confounders (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found the first trimester to be the period most sensitive to the effect of alcohol on the developing fetus. Women adhering to guidelines in this period were still at increased risk of adverse birth outcomes. Our findings suggest that women should be advised to abstain from alcohol when planning to conceive and throughout pregnancy.

Assessment of deoxynivalenol metabolite profiles in UK adults.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) requires no activation for toxicity, though susceptibility may reflect individual variations in detoxification. This study reports the measurement of un-metabolised urinary DON (free DON) and DOM-1 in samples previously analysed for the combined measure of free DON+DON-glucuronide (fD+DG), with a concentration >5 ng/ml, for 34 UK adults. Four consecutive daily urine samples were analysed from twenty-two individuals, whilst from 12 individuals only a single sample was analysed. The mean (median) concentration of urinary fD+DG in this sub-set was 17.8 ng/ml (13.8 ng/ml), range 5.0-78.2 ng/ml. In 23/34 (68%) individuals, free DON was detected, mean 2.4 ng/ml; range 0.5-9.3 ng/ml. Urinary DOM-1 was detected in 1/34 (3%) of individuals; present at ∼1% of urinary fD+DG concentration for that individual. The concentration of fD+DG combined was significantly correlated with urinary free DON (p<0.001, R(2)=0.65), but not with the percentage of free DON to fD+DG (p=0.615, R(2)=0.01), suggesting that the level of DON exposure did not affect the metabolism to DG within the range observed. In this survey most individuals had no detectable urinary DOM-1 and 68% did not detoxify all of the ingested DON to DON-glucuronide. This study needs to be extended to understand whether the fD / DG ratio provides a phenotypic measure of DON susceptibility.

A comparison of deoxynivalenol intake and urinary deoxynivalenol in UK adults.

The relationship between deoxynivalenol (DON) intake and first morning urinary DON was examined in UK adults to validate the latter as a biomarker of human exposure. DON was assessed in first morning samples collected during a period of normal diet, a wheat-restriction intervention diet, and partial wheat-restriction intervention in which bread was allowed. During the partial intervention duplicate bread portions were collected for DON analysis. During the normal diet, partial intervention and full intervention, urinary DON was detected in 198/210 (geometric mean 10.1 ng DON mg(-1) creatinine, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.6-11.6 ng mg(-1); range nd-70.7 ng mg(-1)), in 94/98 (5.9 ng mg(-1), 95% CI 4.8-7.0 ng mg(-1); range nd-28.4 ng mg(-1)), and 17/40 (0.5 ng mg(-1), 95% CI 0.3-0.7 ng mg(-1); range nd-3.3 ng mg(-1)) volunteers, respectively. A strong correlation between DON intake and the urinary biomarker was observed (p <0.001, adjusted r(2) = 0.83) in models adjusting for age, sex and body mass index. These data demonstrate a quantitative correlation between DON exposure and urinary DON, and serve to validate the use of urinary DON as an exposure biomarker.

Caffeine intake during pregnancy, late miscarriage and stillbirth.

Caffeine is a commonly consumed drug during pregnancy with the potential to affect the developing fetus. Findings from previous studies have shown inconsistent results. We recruited a cohort of 2,643 pregnant women, aged 18-45 years, attending two UK maternity units between 8 and 12 weeks gestation from September 2003 to June 2006. We used a validated tool to assess caffeine intake at different stages of pregnancy and related this to late miscarriage and stillbirth, adjusting for confounders, including salivary cotinine as a biomarker of smoking status. There was a strong association between caffeine intake in the first trimester and subsequent late miscarriage and stillbirth, adjusting for confounders. Women whose pregnancies resulted in late miscarriage or stillbirth had higher caffeine intakes (geometric mean = 145 mg/day; 95% CI: 85-249) than those with live births (103 mg/day; 95% CI: 98-108). Compared to those consuming < 100 mg/day, odds ratios increased to 2.2 (95% CI: 0.7-7.1) for 100-199 mg/day, 1.7 (0.4-7.1) for 200-299 mg/day, and 5.1 (1.6-16.4) for 300+ mg/day (P (trend) = 0.004). Greater caffeine intake is associated with increases in late miscarriage and stillbirth. Despite remaining uncertainty in the strength of association, our study strengthens the observational evidence base on which current guidance is founded.

Determinants of urinary deoxynivalenol and de-epoxy deoxynivalenol in male farmers from Normandy, France.

Dietary exposure to deoxynivalenol (DON) from contaminated cereal crops is frequent in Europe, and farm workers who handle grain or silage may be at additional risk. In this study we refined a urinary assay for DON and present a novel assay for the DON metabolite de-epoxy-deoxynivalenol (DOM-1). These were applied to a pilot survey of male French farmers (n = 76, aged 23-74). DON was detected in 75/76 samples (range 0.5-28.8 ng/mL) and DOM-1 in 26/76 samples (range 0.2-2.8 ng/mL). In multivariate analysis including creatinine as a covariate, bread consumption, other cereal consumption, and maize acreage contributed to the model, explaining the variation in urinary "DON and DOM-1" concentration combined (R(2) = 0.33). This is the first exposure biomarker survey for DON in a French population, and the first demonstration of urinary DOM-1 in humans. Further investigations into occupational activity, handling, or airborne exposures would be informative.

A comparison of 24 h urinary deoxynivalenol with recent v. average cereal consumption for UK adults.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a toxic fungal metabolite found on wheat, maize and barley. We previously reported a significant association between the amount of DON in a single 24 h urine sample and the average cereal intake over 7 d for 300 UK adults. In this more detailed analysis of the data, food diary information (n 255) for the day of urine collection (model I), the previous 24 h period (model II) and the day of urine collection plus the previous 24 h combined (model III) were further examined to assess whether the recent intake of cereal correlated more strongly with urinary DON, compared with the longer-term assessment of usual cereal intake from 7 d food diaries (model IV). DON was detected in 254/255 (99.6 %) urine samples (mean 12.0 microg/d; range not detected-66 microg/d). For all the models, total cereal intake was positively associated with urinary DON (P < 0.001) in each model. The goodness of fit (adjusted R2 value) was used to assess how well each model explained the variation in urinary DON. Model I provided a better goodness of fit (adjusted R2 0.22) than model IV (adjusted R2 0.19), whereas model III provided the best fit (adjusted R2 0.27). These data suggest that the inter-individual variation in urinary DON was somewhat better explained by recent cereal intake compared with usual cereal intake assessed over 7 d.

Deoxynivalenol: rationale for development and application of a urinary biomarker.

Mycotoxins are common dietary contaminants in most regions of the world. The frequency of exposure to the various families of mycotoxins is often dependent on geographic location, national wealth and related agricultural and regulatory infrastructure, combined with diversity of diet and degree of food sufficiency. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a Fusarium mycotoxin that frequently contaminates wheat, corn and barley in temperate regions. A number of acute poisoning incidences have been linked to DON-contaminated foods and chronic exposure to lower levels of DON has been predicted in many regions. DON is a potent animal toxin and exposure in humans may cause gastroenteritis, growth faltering and immune toxicity. An ability to conduct accurate exposure assessment at the individual level is required to fully understand the potential health consequences for humans. To date, such exposure biomarkers have been lacking for many important mycotoxins, including DON. To better assess exposure to DON at the individual level, we have developed a robust urinary assay, incorporating immunoaffinity column (IAC) enrichment and LC-MS detection. Further refinement of this urinary assay, by inclusion of (13)C-DON as an internal standard, was then undertaken and tested within the UK. DON was frequently observed in urine and was significantly associated with cereal intake. A dietary intervention study demonstrated that avoiding wheat in the diet markedly reduced urinary levels of DON. This biomarker requires further validation but our initial data suggest it may provide a useful tool in epidemiological investigations of the potential health consequences of this common environmental toxin.

Association between tortilla consumption and human urinary fumonisin B1 levels in a Mexican population.

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium spp. and commonly contaminate maize and maize products worldwide. Fumonisins are rodent carcinogens and have been associated with human esophageal cancer. However, the lack of a valid exposure biomarker has hindered both the assessment of human exposure and the evaluation of disease risk. A sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method to measure urinary fumonisin B1 (FB1) following extraction on Oasis MAX cartridges was established and applied to urine samples from women in a cohort recruited in Morelos County, Mexico. Urinary FB1 was compared with dietary information on tortilla consumption. FB1 recovery in spiked samples averaged 94% as judged by deuterium-labeled FB1 internal standard. Urinary FB1 was determined in 75 samples from women selected based on low, medium, or high consumption of maize-based tortillas. The geometric mean (95% confidence interval) of urinary FB1 was 35.0 (18.8-65.2), 63.1 (36.8-108.2), and 147.4 (87.6-248.0) pg/mL and the frequency of samples above the detection limit (set at 20 pg FB1/mL urine) was 45%, 80%, and 96% for the low, medium, and high groups, respectively. Women with high intake had a 3-fold higher average FB1 levels compared with the "low intake" group (F = 7.3; P = 0.0015). Urinary FB1 was correlated with maize intake (P(trend) = 0.001); the correlation remained significant after adjusting for age, education, and place of residence. This study suggests that measurement of urinary FB1 is sufficiently sensitive for fumonisin exposure assessment in human populations and could be a valuable tool in investigating the associated health effects of exposure.

Assessing caffeine exposure in pregnant women.

Studies on the effects of caffeine on health, while numerous, have produced inconsistent results. One of the most uncertain and controversial effects is on pregnancy outcome. Studies have produced conflicting results due to a number of methodological variations. The major challenge is the accurate assessment of caffeine intake. The aim of the present study was to explore different methods of assessing caffeine exposure in pregnant women. Twenty-four healthy pregnant women from the UK city of Leeds completed both a detailed questionnaire, the caffeine assessment tool (CAT) designed specifically to assess caffeine intake and a prospective 3 d food and drink diary. The women also provided nine saliva samples over two consecutive days for estimation of caffeine and a metabolite (paraxanthine). Caffeine intakes from the CAT and diary showed adequate agreement (intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.5). For saliva caffeine and paraxanthine measures, the between-sample variation (within the same woman) was greater than between-woman and between-day variation. However, there was still adequate agreement between these measures and the CAT. The CAT is a valuable tool that is now being used in a large prospective study investigating caffeine's role in pregnancy outcome.

Urinary deoxynivalenol is correlated with cereal intake in individuals from the United kingdom.

BACKGROUND: Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a toxic fungal metabolite that frequently contaminates cereal crops. DON is toxic to animals, but the effects on humans are poorly understood, in part because exposure estimates are of limited precision. OBJECTIVES: In this study we used the U.K. adult National Diet and Nutrition Survey to compare 24-hr urinary DON excretion with cereal intake. METHODS: One hundred subjects were identified for each of the following cereal consumption groups: low (mean, 107 g cereal/day; range, 88-125), medium (mean, 179 g/day; range, 162-195) and high (mean, 300 g/day; range, 276-325). DON was analyzed in 24-hr urine samples by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry after purification on immunoaffinity columns. RESULTS: DON was detected in 296 of 300 (98.7%) urine samples. Cereal intake was significantly associated with urinary DON (p < 0.0005), with the geometric mean urinary levels being 6.55 microg DON/day [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.71-7.53]; 9.63 microg/day (95% CI, 8.39-11.05); and 13.24 microg/day (95% CI, 11.54-15.19) for low-, medium-, and high-intake groups, respectively. In multivariable analysis, wholemeal bread (p < 0.0005), white bread (p < 0.0005), "other" bread (p < 0.0005), buns/cakes (p = 0.003), high-fiber breakfast cereal (p = 0.016), and pasta (p = 0.017) were significantly associated with urinary DON. Wholemeal bread was associated with the greatest percent increase in urinary DON per unit of consumption, but white bread contributed approximately twice as much as wholemeal bread to the urinary DON levels because it was consumed in higher amounts. CONCLUSION: The majority of adults in the United Kingdom appear to be exposed to DON, and on the basis of the urinary levels, we estimate that some individuals may exceed the European Union (EU) recommended maximum tolerable daily intake of 1,000 ng DON/kg (bw). This exposure biomarker will be a valuable tool for biomonitoring as part of surveillance strategies and in etiologic studies of DON and human disease risk.

Dietary wheat reduction decreases the level of urinary deoxynivalenol in UK adults.

In animals deoxynivalenol (DON) causes vomiting, feed refusal, growth retardation, and affects the immune system. DON is a common contaminant of wheat, however, validated biomarker data to assess exposure at the individual level and therefore any associated health effects are lacking. The development of a highly robust assay for urinary DON involving immunoaffinity (IAC) clean-up and liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometric (MS) detection has allowed the assessment of (1) DON exposure within UK individuals and (2) a wheat intake intervention on urinary DON levels. Twenty-five volunteers from the United Kingdom (aged 21-59 years) completed semi-weighed food diaries on days 1 and 2 (normal diet), and a morning urine sample was provided on day 3. On days 3-6 (intervention), individuals restricted major sources of wheat intake following dietary guidance. Diaries were completed on days 5 and 6, and a further morning urine was provided on day 7. Urinary DON was measured following IAC clean-up and analysis by LC-MS. Wheat-based food intake (mean 322 g/day, range: 131-542 g/day), was significantly (P<0.001) reduced during the intervention to 26 g/day (range: 0-159 g/day) indicating good compliance. DON was detected in all 25 urine samples taken on day 3 (geometric mean 7.2 ng DON/mg creatinine (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.9-10.5 ng/mg), but following the intervention there was a significant 11-fold reduction (P<0.001) to 0.6 ng per mg (95% CI 0.4-0.9 ng/mg). These data are unique in demonstrating human exposure to DON in the United Kingdom using a urinary biomarker. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that exposure can be markedly reduced by avoiding wheat in the diet. On the basis of urinary biomarker levels some individuals are predicted to exceed current recommended daily intakes of DON, and thus the health consequences of these exposures merit further investigation.

Dating aggression, sexual coercion, and aggression-supporting attitudes among college men as a function of participation in aggressive high school sports.

Aggressive male sports have been criticized as bastions of sexism and training grounds for aggression against women, but there have been few empirical demonstrations of these alleged relationships. The authors studied self-reported dating aggression and sexual coercion in 147 college men. Men who had participated in aggressive high school sports, as compared with other men, engaged in more psychological aggression, physical aggression, and sexual coercion toward their dating partners, caused their partners more physical injury, were more accepting of violence, had more sexist attitudes and hostility toward women, were more accepting of rape myths, and were less tolerant of homosexuality. Results indicate that participation in aggressive high school sports is one of the multiple developmental pathways leading to relationship violence.

Perceptions of the Jackson-Timberlake Super Bowl incident: role of sexism and erotophobia.

201 college women's and 179 men's impressions of the Jackson-Timberlake Super Bowl incident were related to measures of benevolent sexism, hostile sexism, and erotophobia. For both women and men high benevolent sexism was correlated (.17-.24) to perceptions that the incident was degrading and that agents (e.g., MTV, NFL, Hollywood) other than the actors were responsible for the incident, whereas high erotophobia was correlated (.29-.39) to perceptions that the incident was degrading, attributable to others, and personally upsetting.

Genotoxicity of size-fractionated samples of urban particulate matter.

Urban particulate matter (UPM) includes particles of size smaller than 10 microm (PM10), which may impact on human respiratory and cardiovascular health. It has been reported previously that PM10 can induce DNA damage. We have collected size-fractionated PM10 at the roadside and measured the induction of DNA damage by different-sized UPM using the alkaline Comet assay and the plasmid strand-break assay. We found that foil disks were more suitable for collecting UPM than quartz fiber filters, as the UPM could be easily extracted from the foil disks and accurately weighed. Using the Comet assay, all size fractions induced DNA damage in A549 lung epithelial cells, with the finer fractions (D50% = 0.65 microm and lower) inducing the most damage. In the plasmid strand-break assay, in which DNA damage is induced by free-radical species generated in solution, the most damage was also induced by the finer fractions, although the finest fraction (D50% < 0.43 microm) did not induce as much damage as D50% = 0.65 and 0.43 microm. When an organic extract of a standard UPM sample was compared to the whole particles and the washed particles in the Comet assay, it was found that around 75% of the damage induced by the whole UPM could be induced by the organic extract. These results show that finer particulates have the greatest ability to induce DNA damage in lung epithelial cells and naked DNA, and that both organic and inorganic components of the UPM contribute to its genotoxic effects.

Perceptions of the social and personal characteristics of hypermuscular women and of the men who love them.

A predominately European American sample of middle class college students rated hypermuscular female bodybuilders and the men who were romantically involved with them on measures of perceived gender traits, personality traits, social behaviors, and heterosexual behaviors. Participants perceived hypermuscular women, as compared to the average woman, as having more masculine and fewer feminine interests, less likely to be good mothers, and less intelligent, socially popular, and attractive. However, participants also perceived them as being less likely to engage in socially deviant behaviors or to be sexually manipulative and more likely to be extraverted, conscientious, and open to new experiences than the average woman. Participants perceived men who are romantically involved with hypermuscular women as having stronger masculine traits, interests, and identities than the average man. The authors found no relationships between the perceiver's gender type and his or her perceptions of hypermuscular women or the men who were romantically involved with them.

The impact of high non-starch polysaccharide intake on serum micronutrient concentrations in a cohort of women.

OBJECTIVE: Many public health campaigns encourage increased fibre consumption, but short-term studies suggest that various components of dietary fibre inhibit the absorption of certain micronutrients including carotenoids. These do not take into account long-term adaptation to nutrient intake levels. We aimed to investigate the effect of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fibre on plasma micronutrient concentrations in a large free-living population consuming their usual diet. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. Semi-weighed 4-day food diaries were analysed for micronutrient and NSP fibre intakes. Blood samples were taken and analysed for carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin C and trace metals. SETTING: Participants in a large national cohort study who lived within 30 miles of Leeds. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and eighty-three middle-aged women. RESULTS: The association between NSP intake and plasma nutrient concentrations was assessed taking into account nutrient intakes and other dietary and lifestyle factors. Higher levels of NSP were not associated with lower plasma concentrations of the micronutrients measured, even allowing for the higher nutrient levels generally found in high-fibre foods. CONCLUSIONS: Amongst middle-aged women we have shown that current guidelines for increasing the population's NSP consumption can be safely applied. Such guidelines are unlikely to reduce serum micronutrient concentrations, although other, more vulnerable population groups may benefit from further investigation.