Beta-carotene

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The New Detox Diet: The Complete Guide for Lifelong Vitality With Recipes, Menus, and Detox Plans Elson M. Haas, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

This plan, with adequate fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, will help to replenish the protective antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins C, E, and A, beta-carotene, and selenium. In addition, raw seeds and nuts, legumes, sprouts, and other proteins should be consumed. Water is essential to balance out the drying effects of smoking and its toxicity. Caffeine also increases the need for water, as it is dehydrating. A daily intake of two to three quarts of liquid is suggested, depending on how many high-water-content fruits, vegetables, salads, juices, and soups are consumed.

Vitamin A (retinol) and beta-carotene, the nontoxic precursor of vitamin A, is needed for normal growth, function, and repair of epithelial cells, including those in the GI mucosa. Taking both nutrients ensures proper levels of vitamin A. 5. Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant that defends cell membrane integrity and function, thus helping to protect active enzyme systems within the cells. 6. Zinc (picolinate, as one bioavailable example) is essential to tissue health and repair, enzyme function, the integrity of the cell membrane structure, and cell replication.

Some of the important nutrients for healing the GI tract include the amino acid L-glutamine, pantothenic acid, zinc, vitamin A, antioxidants (such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and selenium), the bioflavonoid quercetin, essential fatty acids, inulin, and fiber (particularly the soluble kind). Herbs such as aloe vera, licorice root, and marshmallow root also have positive healing effects on the mucosal lining of the gastrointestinal tract. These nutrients play a key role in GI mucosal cell differentiation, growth, function, and repair.

The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay. See book keywords and concepts

In a multicenter, double-blind, controlled trial, beta-carotene was shown to produce regressions in patients with premalignant oral lesions. Subjects were given beta-carotene at a dose of 60 mg/day, or placebo for 6 months. Of the treated subjects, 52% responded with regressions (Garewal et al, 1999). • In a controlled, blind clinical trial, a 400-IU dose of vitamin E was shown to regress small intestinal metaplasia (precancerous tissue changes). After 12 months, 10 of 14 patients (71%) showed no signs of metaplasia (Bukin et al., 1997).

Cancer & Natural Medicine: A Textbook of Basic Science and Clinical Research John Boik See book keywords and concepts

Since no other studies have reported a harmful effect of beta-carotene, but instead have reported beneficial effects, the authors state that "In light of all the data available, an adverse effect of beta-carotene seems unlikely... therefore, this finding may well be due to chance." Alpha-tocopherol, beta carotene cancer prevention study group, 1994 Administration of vitamin A (350,000 to 500,000 IU) significantly increased response rates, duration of response, and projected survival in postmenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer who were treated by chemotherapy. Israel etal.

Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet Jeremy P. Tarcher See book keywords and concepts

Theit enthusiasm is backed by new studies showing pasture-raised beef like theirs has more "good" omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and less saturated fat than feedlot fed.10 Others, though, say beef is beef is beef. It still contains fat and cholesterol—along with carcinogenic substances created when meat is cooked—that scientists link to cancet and heart disease. The only diets that have shown to substantially reduce cholesterol are vegetarian.

Bottom Line's Prescription Alternatives Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA See book keywords and concepts

Be sure you're getting both beta-carotene and vitamin A in your multivitamin formula. Other Tips on These Drugs They can skew the results of many blood and urine tests. Take them with food or they may upset your stomach. Potassium-Sparing Diuretics Amiloride (Midamor) Spironolactone (Aldactone) Triamterene (Dyrenium) Combinations (Dyazide, Moduretic, Aldactazide, Maxzide) The potassium-sparing diuretics are usually combined with one of the other diuretics to reduce excessive potassium depletion.

Food, Inc. Mendel to Monsanto - The Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest Peter Pringle See book keywords and concepts

In the process, the two scientists had "instructed" the plant to complete a chemical chain reaction ending with the production of beta-carotene in the rice grain. But the politics of the experiment were even more significant than the science. Here, at last, was an invention that the biotech industry could be as proud of as the critics could find alarming, or so it seemed. Golden rice put a humanitarian face on a technology that had been producing strange new foods without regard to the nutritional needs of the customer.

Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism Marion Nestle See book keywords and concepts

To develop Golden Rice, they recombined genes and DNA regulatory segments from daffodils, peas, viruses, and bacteria to induce rice to make beta-carotene in its endosperm—the white, starchy part of the grain. Rice, like all grains, consists of three principal parts: a surrounding sheath of nutrient-rich bran, an inner endosperm containing starch and a little protein, and an embryo, which draws on the energy IN RICE Precursors ?

The Natural Way to Heal: 65 Ways to Create Superior Health Walter Last See book keywords and concepts

Best known among these is beta-carotene. Even more important for healthy eyes and especially to protect the retina to prevent blindness from macular degeneration are lutein and zeaxan-thin. These two are found in spinach, lettuce, broccoli, peas, and corn. Lycopene appears to protect the health of the prostate gland; studies have found it protective against exercise-induced asthma. You can find it in red-hued fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, pink grapefruit, guavas, papaya, and watermelon. If you have the opportunity, frequently snack on flower petals or put them through the juicer.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

Carotenoids other than beta-carotene include canthax-anthin, phytoene, lutein, xanathophylls, and lycopenes, many of which, according to herbalist Donny Yance of the American Herbalists' Guild (AHG), may offer greater anticarcinogenic effects than does beta-carotene. He further states that carotenoids have antioxidant properties, protecting phagocytes, lipids, and cells against oxidation, strengthening the immune system, increasing the production of certain interleukins, and—with their special effect on the skin—protect against cancer-causing sun damage.

Bottom Line's Prescription Alternatives Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA See book keywords and concepts

Vitamin E works well taken with its partners in the body, the nutrients vitamin C, beta-carotene and other flavonoids, and selenium. NATURAL REMEDIES FOR A STRONGER HEART Natural remedies for strengthening the heart tend to help significantly with symptoms such as arrhythmia and angina, and can also make a big difference in people with congestive heart failure. Three of the most effective are coenzyme Q10, hawthorn berries, and carnitine. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQIO) CoQIO has the ability to protect and strengthen the heart and lower blood pressure.

The Natural Medicine Guide to the 50 Most Common Medicinal Herbs Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND See book keywords and concepts

Bl, B2, B6, choline, folic acid, C, alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene. þ:? essential amino acids: lysine, threonine, valine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine. þ inorganic: calcium, sodium, chlorine, manganese, magnesium, zinc, copper, chromium, potassium sorbate. þ aloinosides: including barbaloin (aloins A and B) emodin, aloe-emodin (trace amounts only). Aloes þ aloinosides: including barbaloin (aloins A and B), aloe-emodin, emodin, chrysophanol. þ chromone derivatives: aloeresin A, B, C.

Bottom Line's Prescription Alternatives Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA See book keywords and concepts

What Else to Take If You Take This Drug A high-potency multivitamin containing vitamins A, D, and E, and beta-carotene, along with an essential fatty acid supplement. Take them between doses of orlistat. NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO DIABETES AND WEIGHT CONTROL DRUGS There are many safe, natural, and effective ways to help control blood sugar and shed excess weight without drugs. For most diabetics, these two changes go hand in hand.

Blended Medicine: The Best Choices in Healing Michael Castleman See book keywords and concepts

Get vitamin A as beta-carotene. Large doses of vitamin A can cause fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and blurred vision. But as Somer notes, you really don't need to take supplemental vitamin A. Instead, take beta-carotene, which your body converts to A on an as-needed basis. Avoid unnecessary extras. "Even if your diet is less than perfect, you almost certainly get enough biotin, vitamin K, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium," Somer says. "You don't need to take supplements of them." But if your insurance formula contains these nutrients, that's okay, too. Choose bargains over brands.

The Inflammation Syndrome: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies, and Asthma Jack Challem See book keywords and concepts

The high levels of free radicals in the stomach rapidly deplete antioxidant levels in gastric juices and the wall, and numerous studies have found that gastritis and gastric ulcers are associated with low levels of vitamins E and C and beta-carotene. The situation is made worse when people consume relatively few fruits and vegetables, the principal dietary sources of antioxidants. In a Scottish study, researchers reported that H. pylori infection interfered with the body's utilization of vitamin C. When people infected with H.

A combination of beta-carotene and vitamin C provided no additional benefits. However, 15 percent of the people taking antioxidants alone (no antibiotics) were cured of their H. pylori infection. Two other studies have found that vitamin C supplements are beneficial. In a small trial sponsored by the World Health Organization, researchers gave 5 g of vitamin C daily for four weeks to thirty-two people with chronic gastritis and H. pylori infections. The supplements eradicated H. pylori infections in 30 percent of the patients.

Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism Marion Nestle See book keywords and concepts

The most highly publicized example of the gap between promises and reality is "Golden Rice," genetically engineered to contain beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. Although this rice also is not yet in production, it has been the industry's primary advertising tool to promote the humanitarian benefits of food biotechnology (see figure 12).

MORE ABOUT MAKING RICE GOLDEN: PLASMIDS As noted in chapter 5, the genetic engineering of beta-carotene into rice represents an extraordinary technical achievement. The "foreign" genes must be identified and reproduced, inserted into the plant's DNA, and made to function in the plant and reproduce in its seeds. How all of this is accomplished is quite remarkable, as the methods take advantage of the unique and rather bizarre properties of a species of common soil bacteria, Agrobacterium tumifaciens.

On this basis, he estimated that 50% of the standard for a child in India could be met by about 100 grams of Golden Rice per day (a quite reasonable 9 ounces, cooked), and that this amount could be reduced even further if his group could bioengineer the rice to contain higher levels of beta-carotene. Although he still viewed the Greenpeace objections as morally irresponsible, he said he shared "Greenpeace's disgrace about the heavy PR campaign of some agbiotech [agricultural biotechnology] companies using results from our experiments. ...

The scientists who developed Golden Rice assumed that 6 molecules of beta-carotene would yield 1 of vitamin A, whereas U.S. estimates suggest a conversion ratio of 12 to 1. Greenpeace took the scientists' figures and compared them to recommended levels of vitamin A intake for the U.S. population. By U.S. standards, 300 grams (11 ounces) of Golden Rice provides one-third the recommended level of daily intake of vitamin A for a child aged one to three years, one-seventh the level recommended for an adult woman, and one-ninth the level for an adult man.

Food, Inc. Mendel to Monsanto - The Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest Peter Pringle See book keywords and concepts

The anti-golden rice forces told Asians and Africans there was nothing worthwhile in this golden rice, not even the beta-carotene in its grains. Greenpeace claimed that no one could eat enough grains to supply the daily intake of vitamin A. The group estimated that as much as twenty pounds of cooked golden rice a day would be needed to meet the daily requirement of vitamin A. In many undeveloped countries, a pound of rice per person each day is a luxury.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

Carotenoids other than beta-carotene include canthax-anthin, phytoene, lutein, xanathophylls, and lycopenes, many of which, according to herbalist Donny Yance of the American Herbalists' Guild (AHG), may offer greater anticarcinogenic effects than does beta-carotene. He further states that carotenoids have antioxidant properties, protecting phagocytes, lipids, and cells against oxidation, strengthening the immune system, increasing the production of certain interleukins, and—with their special effect on the skin—protect against cancer-causing sun damage.

Ultraprevention : The 6-Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy for Life Mark Hyman, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

One of the main reasons the government (and your mother) tells you to eat more fruits and vegetables is because they contain a whole range of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene, as well as flavonoids and other powerful chemicals. We also recommend vitamins to support the liver, such as the B vitamins; minerals including magnesium, choline, and lecithin; and certain foods, including garlic, onions, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, and cauliflower. This brings up what we call the NCR concept.

The Food Bible Judith Wills See book keywords and concepts

Retinol is found only in foods from animal sources, such as liver, milk, butter, cheese, eggs, and oily fish, but the body can convert carotenes—particularly beta-carotene, the pigment found in greatest quantities in orange-fleshed and dark green vegetables and fruits—into retinol. beta-carotene is also an important nutrient in its own right.

Disease Prevention and Treatment The Life Extension Editorial Staff See book keywords and concepts

High vitamin A and beta-carotene semm levels have been reported to reduce fibrinogen levels in humans and animals (Green 1997). Animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet have an impaited ability to break down fibrinogen, but when injected with vitamin A, they produce tissue plasminogen activators that break down fibrinogen, reducing the risk of clot fotmation. Vitamin A is beneficial to individuals with Syndrome X and diabetes. A study involving 52 patients indicated that vitamin A enhanced insulin-mediated glucose disposal (Facchini et al. 1996a).

Manson of the Women's Hospital in Boston reported that those taking 25,000 IU of beta-carotene daily had 22% fewer heart problems and strokes than those taking less than 10,000 IU daily (Friend 1991; Passwater undated). Dr. Monika Eichholzer (scientist at the University of Bern, Switzerland) teported similar findings after tracking 2974 people for 12 years. The relative risk of ischemic heart disease was increased (1.53%) among those lowest in plasma carotene concentrations (Eichholzet et al. 1992).

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY Potent antioxidant multinutrient formulas like Life Extension Mix, ginkgo biloba, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, amino acids, mineral formulas, CoQ^q, melatonin, grape-seed extract, vinpocetine, zinc, tocotrienols, and selenium can be ordered by calling (800) 544-4440. Hydergine and piracetam can be obtained with a physician's prescription or compounding pharmacy. The other medications mentioned should be available with a physician's prescription in the United States. Anxiety and Stress Anxiety: from Latin, anxietas, meaning distressed, pained.

A usual dose of beta-carotene is 25,000 IU. A dose of ginkgo can vary from 60-120 mg. The optimal high potency dose of tocotrienols is 120-240 mg a day. At least 3-10 mg of melatonin should be taken every night for a week before surgery. Another 3-10 mg of melatonin may be taken just prior to anesthesia or as close to the anesthetic period as possible (in case you have been advised to take nothing by mouth for several hours prior) (Wakatsuki et al. 1999; Borlongan et al. 2000; Kaneko et al. 2000).

Healthy people seeking to boost overall immune function should consider consuming 5000 IU of beta-carotene daily, along with other carotenoids, such as lycopene and lutein. Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 is essential to everyone for good health. Vitamin Bi^ is crucial to many enzymatic processes in the body and functions synergistically with folic acid and TMG to enhance DNA methylation and reduce toxic homocysteine in the blood. Vitamin B]_2, together with folic acid, is very effective at increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity of red blood cells.

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