Beta Carotene is a compound that gives vivid yellow, orange, and red coloring to vegetables. The body converts Beta Carotene into vitamin A (retinol). Vitamin A, known as a vital nutrient for vision, plays a critical role in cell growth and in maintaining healthy organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys.
Beta Carotene, which gets its name from the Latin word for carrot, is an antioxidant that is extremely good for your eyes and skin.
Health Benefits
Some health benefits of beta carotene include:
Eye Health
Beta carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid, or a nutrient that the body readily converts into vitamin A. Research has found that eating a carotenoid-rich diet, including beta carotene, supports eye health and prevents eye diseases. Studies have shown that people with high blood levels of carotenoids may reduce their risk of macular degeneration by up to 35 percent.
One Korean study found a strong link between beta carotene intake and reduced risk of macular degeneration in smokers.
Improved Cognitive Function
There is evidence that beta carotene, like other antioxidants, may improve memory and cognitive function. A review of multiple studies found that long-term beta carotene supplementation had positive effects on cognitive function and memory.
Antioxidants like beta carotene might be very helpful in reducing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline.
Skin Protection
Research has shown that antioxidants, including beta carotene, can help maintain skin health and appearance, and may protect the skin against UV radiation from the sun.
Cancer Prevention
Researchers have found that a diet high in beta carotene and other antioxidants may reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
Health Risks
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient that can accumulate in the body, primarily in the liver, and is toxic in excessively large doses. Chronic excess intake of Vitamin A can cause dizziness, nausea, joint pain, coma, and even death. Even amounts just slightly above the recommended dietary allowance are associated with reduced bone mineral density and fracture risk.
However, beta carotene is not known to be toxic, even at large supplemental doses. The only known effect of long-term excessive beta carotene intake for most peopleis orange-yellow skin discoloration.
Smokers who take high doses of beta-carotene supplements have been found to be at higher risk of death due to lung cancer.
Amounts and Dosage
There is no recommended dietary allowance of beta-carotene. The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A varies according to gender and life stage:
- Ages 1–3: 300 mcg RAE
- Ages 4–8: 400 mcg RAE
- Ages 9–13: 600 mcg RAE
- Ages 14–18: 900 mcg RAE for boys, 700 mcg mcg RAE for girls
- Adults: 900 mcg RAE for men, 700 mcg RAE for women
- Pregnant women: 770 mcg RAE
- Lactating women: 1300 mcg RAE
Beta carotene is usually present in brightly colored yellow, orange, and red vegetables and some greens. Foods that are rich in beta carotene include sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, butternut squash, kale, Swiss chard, cantaloupe, romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, and apricots.
Beta carotene is an oil-soluble nutrient, and the body may be better able to absorb it when foods are cooked, especially when they are cooked in oil.
