Carotenoids Benefit..A Colourful and Powerful Antioxidant

What are the carotenoids benefit? Ok, what is a carotenoid?



Well firstly the carotenoid..beta-carotene, is resposible for the lovely rainbow colours of our fruit and vegetables. You know the orange for carrots, and lycopene gives tomatoes their red colour and so on. Along with Bioflavonoids, they are one of the major classes of Phytochemicals.

Their colours enable them to absorb specific frequencies of sunlight and prevent the formation of light-induced free radicals.

There are six major carotenoids, however about forty to fifty are found in the American diet, though only fourteen are absorbed into the bloodstream. The big six are...

• Alpha-carotene
• Beta-carotene
• Cryptosanthin
• Lutein
• Zeaxanthin
• Lycopene

Eyesight is protected and the ageing process of the brain is slowed too.

Beta carotene is the star player of the carotenoid family. Why? Because the body is able to split a molecule of beta-carotene in half to form two molecules of vitamin A. It is considered a very safe form of vitamin A because, cleverly, the body only performs this splitting when required.

It has been discovered that beta-carotene is a very effective antioxidant, especially in protecting against the reactive oxygen species called singlet oxygen.

If you stick to a diet with varied colourful fruits and vegetables, you probably get plenty of carotenoids. People at risk of certain conditions may benefit from extra amounts of some.

Finally, in a U.S. study scientists looked at the effects of beta-carotene (which the body converts into vitamin A) supplements taken by men. The results were that those men who took the supplements for 15 years (or longer), have better functioning memory and other brain skills.

This research only goes to provide more evidence that antioxidants can stave off diseases of aging such as Alzheimer's.



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