Beta carotene: an antioxidant against heart disease and cancer!

Beta-carotene, a red-yellow food pigment that converts to vitamin A in the body, has been on a roller coaster ride for the past few decades. It enjoyed enormous popularity when scientists linked it to lower rates of heart disease and cancer. However, the mood changed when the researchers found that taking beta-carotene supplements seemed to increase the risk of some of these diseases. Now, as medical science learns more about this enigmatic antioxidant, beta-carotene’s reputation is rising again, albeit more cautiously than before.

Beta-carotene has established benefits, but the amounts people need are within the range they can get from eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. So you don’t need extraordinary amounts. There are definite risks with supplementation. Why are food sources of beta carotene so much better than supplements? Scientists aren’t sure yet, but they suspect it may be because beta-carotene has at least 500 siblings, known collectively as carotenoids. It’s possible that it’s not just beta-carotene that’s causing the benefits, but the combination of beta-carotene plus its lesser-recognized relatives.

Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes, for example, may be considerably more powerful than beta-carotene in the battle against cancer. By testing the effectiveness of each of these compounds in the laboratory, the researchers found that lycopene is more effective than beta-carotene in inhibiting the growth of certain types of cancer cells.

In a study proving that carrots really are good for your eyes, researchers found that people with the highest levels of carotenoids had between a third and half the risk of macular degeneration as those with the lowest levels. So the next time you’re in the produce aisle, be sure to stock your cart with plenty of carotenoid-rich foods, like spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables, and dark orange fruits and vegetables, like squash, sweet potatoes , carrots and Cantaloupe. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, pumpkin, melon, kiwi,

Navel oranges, papayas, strawberries, sweet potatoes, sweet red bell peppers, and watermelons are rich in beta-carotene. Although beta-carotene is one of the best-studied antioxidants, they are only a small part of a massive army of protective compounds found in our foods. For example, the minerals selenium and zinc also act as powerful antioxidants. So do the phenolic compounds in green tea and the flavonoids in red wine.

It has been established that everyone should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day to ensure they get healthy amounts of beta-carotene.