Frequency of Fruits and Vegetables Intake, and Markers of Oxidative Stress in Children with Down Syndrome

Epidemiological and experimental evidences suggest that oxidative stress is elevated in children with Down syndrome (DS). Some studies show that consumption of diets with a high content of fruits and vegetables results in a significant reduction in markers of oxidative stress. We investigated the frequency of fruits and vegetables intake in children with DS and the influence of variations in the level of this consumption on biomarkers of oxidative stress. Frequency of consumption of fruit and vegetables by children with DS were recorded by interview with the children’s parents. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were also measured as biomarkers of oxidative stress. Data analysed using ANOVA and Student’s t-tests. Mean consumption of fruits and vegetables was 4.6 and 0.74 servings per week, respectively. No significant relationships were found between consumption of fruits and vegetables with markers of oxidative stress. Based on our findings, the 65.9 % of the children did not eat any vegetables and the rest of the children consumed less than one serving per day. There was a significant correlation between the frequency of fruits and vegetable consumption (r=0.212; p <0.04). There wasn’t any significant relationship between fruits and vegetables consumption and indicators of oxidative stress in children with DS. This lack of correlation could be due to low consumption of fruits and vegetables in children with DS.