/News/Research — Using data from the NHANES study, researchers in China suggested that higher levels of all serum carotenoids, except lycopene, were associated with lower BMI and a lower prevalence of obesity in 1,329 children and adolescents. However, the cross-sectional design of the study and the mechanisms of carotenoid storage and metabolism limit any inference to causality. “This finding suggests that higher carotenoid levels, particularly β-carotene, are associated with significantly lower rates of obesity in children. Because of these mechanisms, “the possibility of reverse causality cannot be excluded, as obesity may also influence serum carotenoid concentrations through altered storage, metabolism and dietary behaviors,” they wrote. “Inverse relationship between serum carotenoid levels and obesity prevalence in children and adolescents: a nationwide cross-sectional analysis”.