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| Carotene |
| Also known as: Carotenoids |
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What is it? |
| The vivid yellow and orange pigments that give sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots, apricots, papayas and other fruits and vegetables their intense color (they are also abundant in broccoli and such dark leafy greens as kale, collards and spinach). In addition, these pigments are widely used by food processors to color butter, margarine, shortening, nondairy creamers, whipped toppings and cake mixes. Of the 600-odd carotenoids so far identified, BETA CAROTENE, which the body converts to VITAMIN A, is far and away the best known, yet it accounts for only 25 percent of the edible carotenoids. Not all carotenoids end up in the body as vitamin A; still, many are such powerful ANTIOXIDANTS that their anti-carcinogenic properties may actually exceed that of beta-carotene. Some of them also help protect against cardiovascular disease and such eye conditions as macular degeneration. Medical researchers now believe that the different carotenoids working in concert, not isolated forms of beta-carotene are what do the job. Mother always told us to eat our fruits and vegetables, and it turns out Mother knew best. Among the less well-known (but no less powerful) carotenoids present in food are alpha-carotene (found in carrots), a vitamin A precursor that may boost the immune system and lower the risk of lung cancer; beta-cryptoxanthin (mangoes, oranges, papayas, tangerines), also a precursor of vitamin A; canthaxanthin (a natural food color), which strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of skin cancer in lab rats; lutein (broccoli, dark leafy greens), which decreases the risk of lung cancer; and lycopene (the red pigment in tomatoes), which also reduces the risk of cancer, specifically bladder and colon cancers. Also see LYCOPENE. |
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