Overview of carotenoid bioavailability determinants: From dietary factors to host genetic variations

Numerous unanswered questions remain about the metabolism of carotenoids in the intestinal lumen and about the factors affecting their absorption efficiency. These gaps need to be filled to be able to better understand the variability of individual responses to these compounds so as to promote guidelines towards personalized dietary recommendations in order to increase carotenoid absorption efficiency and hence their health effects. Two main conclusions can be drawn. First, the efficiency of carotenoid absorption is affected by several dietary factors (e.g. food matrix, fat, and fat-soluble micronutrients). Second, carotenoid bioavailability also depends on host-related factors, e.g. diseases, life-style habits, gender and age, as well as genetic variations such as single nucleotide polymorphisms.