Beta-carotene

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Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Hundreds of NEW Natural Products that Will Help You Live Longer, Look Better, Stay Heathier, ... and Much More! Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

At the end of two weeks, blood levels of beta-carotene increased by 60 percent over control subjects who were taking betacarotene alone. Within hours after they took pepperine, blood levels of selenium and vitamin B6 were higher among pepperine users than nonusers. Although blood levels of these nutrients were increased, they were well within healthy, normal levels. None of the participants experienced any side effects. Pepperine is sold in combination with other supplements, or in separate capsules. Possible Benefits Improves absorption of supplements. The Right Amount Take three 5-mg.

Doctor, what Should I Eat?: Nutrition Prescriptions for Ailments in Which Diet Can Really Make a Difference Isadore Rosenfeld, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

So, you would need to consume 3 milligrams of beta-carotene to get 5,000 IU of vitamin A. CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME VITAMINS FOR A PAINFUL WRIST When you have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), your median nerve, one of three that supplies the hand, is "pinched." As a result, the thumb and middle three fingers tingle, feel numb, and hurt. Your wrist and forearm may also be painful.

Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are also protective, probably because of their high beta-carotene and vitamin C content, other micronutri-ents, and fiber content. In my opinion, antioxidants may protect against cancer too, perhaps because they prevent the cell membranes from being attacked and broken down. Finally, fiber in the diet causes the stool to be larger and bulkier and more quickly passed so that any cancer-causing substance that is present has less contact with the bowel.

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Trace minerals from mineralized soil, such as zinc, copper, selenium, cobalt, and manganese, as well as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, are used in plants and humans to form anti-free-radical enzymes. Human enzymes, thought to be formed in the spleen, such as superoxide dismutase and cat-alase, are examples. They convert free radicals into harmless waste products that are easily eliminated through the liver and kidneys. Free radicals can be formed in our bodies by a number of physical or chemical insults, or by radiation. UV radiation is a dominant cause of radiation-induced free radicals.

Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

If you are taking a high-potency multiple-vitamin-and-mineral formula, many of the supportive antioxidant nutrients, such as selenium, zinc, and beta-carotene, are provided for. Therefore, your primary concern may be simply to ensure beneficial levels of vitamin C and vitamin E. Here is a daily supplementation guideline for these key nutritional antioxidants for supporting general health. Be sure to recognize how much your multiple-vitamin-and-mineral formula is providing.

Conscious Eating Gabriel Cousens, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

This does not seem to be true for beta-carotene. If someone needs to become more acid, one could use ascorbic acid C and vitamin A in moderation to achieve this effect. Vitamin K is alkalinizing and helps to keep calcium, one of the main alkalinizing minerals, in its ionizable form in the blood serum. The ionizable form of calcium is the utilizable form in the blood. The intelligent use of supplements requires a thorough understanding of their effects on the acid-base balance of the organism. The point again is one of awareness.

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RED CLOVER BLOSSOMS Red clover blossoms (Trifolium pratense) are classified as bitter, cold, antiinflammatory, diuretic, antipyretic, and able to improve acuity of vision because of a high beta-carotene content. They contain isofla-vones, which possesses estrogen-like actions (genistein): the level of activity of 100 grams of the dried plant corresponds to 0.55-0.56 micrograms of estradiol. The plant's anticancer properties are enhanced by the presence of active carotene (richest in the blossoms) and vitamin E. PORIA COCOS Poria cocos has a neutral energy and bland flavor.

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Beta-carotene, preferably obtained by eating plenty of green leafy vegetables or yellow or orange vegetables and fruits, stops wheezing. Ll Avoid eating from one to two hours before bedtime. Eating just before sleep may encourage the development of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which causes some people to wake up with a cough, sore throat, or hoarseness even in the absence of infection. Croup Croup is a form of viral laryngitis characterized by a "barking" cough, hoarseness, and high-pitched sounds when inhaling.

Since radiation therapy depletes the body's stores of beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, it would seem natural to take supplements during radiation treatment. However, there is some evidence that the greater the body's stores of these free-radical scavenging vitamins (and of the mineral selenium) during treatment, the larger the tumor will be after treatment. On the other hand, there is considerable laboratory evidence that supplemental melatonin protects the whole body from side effects of radiation, and that vitamin A supplements may prevent lung damage.

The safest and most effective way of maintaining healthy levels of beta-carotene is to consume three or more servings of dark-green, yellow, or orange vegetables and citrus fruits daily. —I Eat broccoli. Of all the cruciferous (cabbage family) vegetables, broccoli appears to have the greatest cancer-fighting potency. Broccoli contains sulphoraphane, a compound that helps the body begin to eliminate carcinogenic toxins in as little as ten days after it is included in the diet on a daily basis. It also keeps estrogen from binding to and stimulating the growth of breast cancer cells.

These foods supply beta-carotene, which reduces the risk of a first heart attack. Ll Eat blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, or strawberries regularly. These berries and fruits contain substances that slow the process of atherosclerosis and give the cardiovascular system time to compensate for blockages in blood vessels. Ll Consume omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce thromboxane release, every day. Flaxseed, fish, borage, and evening primrose oils are all good sources. Ll Limit servings of meat, fish, and poultry to one per day.

Doctor, what Should I Eat?: Nutrition Prescriptions for Ailments in Which Diet Can Really Make a Difference Isadore Rosenfeld, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

If you're at high risk for lung cancer for whatever reason—because you smoke or were exposed to airborne asbestos, or work in milling, mining, textiles, insulation, or cement manufacturing, or if you had too much radiation from your dentist or doctor before its harmful effects were fully appreciated—get enough beta-carotene in your diet in the form of food, not supplements.

Indeed, in the largest study to date, supplemental beta-carotene actually increased the incidence of lung cancer by 18 percent among cigarette smokers. By contrast, in another study of nonsmokers, those who had consumed the largest amount of raw fruits and vegetables over the years had the lowest incidence of this malignancy. So you should obtain these nutrients in your food, because the foods may contain some other beneficial substances not present in the pill or capsule processed by man.

Try to consume 25,000 IU of beta-carotene per day from natural food sources. Although vitamin E, also an antioxidant, does not play a major role in the dietary prevention of cataracts, it helps keep cell membranes in the lens intact and may reduce the risk. Most people have enough vitamin E in their normal diet, and supplements are not warranted at this time for cataract prevention. Finally, here is yet another area in which tobacco rears its ugly head.

Eat Right, Live Longer: Using the Natural Power of Foods to Age-Proof Your Body Neal Barnard, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Research studies showing benefits from beta-carotene use doses in the range of twenty to thirty milligrams per day and occasionally higher. This amount is easily obtained from carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and other natural foods. • Infants should receive vitamins only as prescribed by a pediatrician. • Be careful about selenium. Typical dosages used in research range from fifty to one hundred micrograms. This range is probably safe, but higher doses are potentially toxic.

Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies Phyllis A. Balch, CNC See book keywords and concepts

Many of the earliest clinical studies of bilberry (conducted in the 1950s and 1960s) noted that its effects were greater when patients also took beta-carotene. For best results, you should eat dark-green, yellow, and orange vegetables daily while taking bilberry. You should not use extremely high doses of bilberry teas or take teas of this herb for more than one month at a time. If blood appears in the urine, discontinue use. You should not take bilberry during pregnancy, if you are taking anticoagulants such as warfarin (Coumadin), or if you have bleeding disorders.

The Complete Book of Alternative Nutrition Selene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books See book keywords and concepts

Besides being 60 to 70 percent protein, spirulina contains large quantities of beta-carotene. And nutritional researchers say it's the richest nonanimal source of vitamin B12, providing more than 0.25 milligram of the nutrient per 100 grams of dried spirulina. That's about 40 times the Daily Value for B12, which is 6 micrograms. Spirulina is also a good source of iron and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an oil that turns into prostaglandins in your body. The benefit of prostaglandins is that they help keep your blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract and blood sugar healthy and stable.

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In the Nurses Health Study, for example, Harvard researchers found that women who got as little as 15 milligrams of beta-carotene daily, about the amount in one large carrot, reduced their risk of stroke. Another reason that fruits and vegetables are so beneficial is that they're often high in potassium, a mineral that has been shown to lower high blood pressure, a leading cause of stroke. Plus, potassium appears to make blood less likely to clot, which can reduce the risk of stroke even more. Good potassium sources include baked potatoes, dried peaches, cantaloupe, and spinach.

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BERGAMOTTIN Pericarp BERGAPTOL Fruit beta-carotene Fruit 0—5 ppm BETA-SITOSTEROL Fruit BORON Fruit 1—33 ppm BROMINE Fruit CADMIUM Fruit 0.002—0.066 ppm CAFFEIC-ACID Fruit 40—51 ppm CAFFEINE Flower 29 ppm CALCIUM Fruit 117—4,270 ppm CAMPESTEROL Fruit CARBOHYDRATES Fruit 80,800—948,000 ppm CARYOPHYLLENE Fruit CATECHOL Plant CHALCONASE Fruit CHLORINE Plant 6 ppm CHOLESTEROL Fruit CHROMIUM Fruit 0.002—0.55 ppm CIS-LINALOOL-OXIDE Fruit CITRAL Fruit CITRIC-ACID Fruit 11,900—21,000 ppm CITROSTADIENOL Pericarp COBALT Fruit 0.005—0.22 ppm CONIFERIN Pericarp COPPER Fruit 0—7.

Results of this study showed that the radical scavenger activity of erythrocyte membranes was stimulated in healthy subjects after 30 days by supplementation with vitamin E, C, and beta-carotene. —C. Regnault, et al., "Influence of Beta Carotene, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C on Endogenous Antioxidant Defenses in Erythrocytes," Ann Pharmacother, 27(11), November 1993, p. 1349-1350. This study examined the carbon centered and hydrogen radicals in the skeletal muscle of rats receiving supplemental vitamin E. Results showed that vitamin E quenched such free radicals directly. —M. Hiramatsu, et al.

This review article notes that antioxidants such as vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and monunsatur-ate fatty acids reduce LDL's susceptibility to oxidation. —A. Jendryczko, [Prevention of Atherosclerosis with the Help of Antioxidants (editorial)], Pol Tyg Lek, 49(20-22), May 16-30, 1994, p. 456-458. This review article notes that while alpha-tocopherol shows modes anticlotting activity, vitamin E quinone is a strong anticoagulant and inhibitor of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase that controls clotting. —P. Dowd and Z.B.

Cucurbitaceae) 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE Fruit ALKALOIDS Fruit 380 ppm ASCORBIC-ACID Fruit 570—36,447 ppm ASCORBIGEN Fruit ASH Fruit 4,000—142,000 ppm beta-carotene Fruit 18 ppm BETA-SITOSTEROL Fruit BETA-SITOSTEROL-D-GLUCOSIDE Fruit CALCIUM Fruit 130—4,333 ppm CARBOHYDRATES Fruit 47,000—763,000 ppm CHARANTIN Fruit 1,500 ppm CHOLESTEROL Fruit CITRULLINE Fruit COPPER Fruit 30 ppm CRYPTOXANTHIN Fruit DIOSGENIN Tissue Culture ELASTEROL Plant FIBER Fruit 10,000—257,800 ppm FLAVOCHROME Fruit FLUORIDE Fruit 0.2—0.5 ppm FLUORINE Fruit 4.8 ppm GAB A Fruit GALACTURONIC-ACID Fruit IODINE Fruit 0.

Results showed that low serum levels of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene proved to be risk factors for end stage senile cataracts. —P. Knekt, et al., "Serum Antioxidant Vitamins and Risk of Cataract," British Medical Journal, 305(6866), December 5, 1992, p. 1392-1394. This review article notes the results of a study showing that patients with cataracts had low levels of vitamins E, C, or carotenoids relative to controls and that those with less cataracts used significantly more supplements of vitamins E and C. —J.M. Robertson, et al.

The Complete Book of Alternative Nutrition Selene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books See book keywords and concepts

Klaper, are the antioxidant vitamins C and E and beta-carotene. They're called antioxidants because they prevent damage from a process known as oxidation. If left unchecked, oxidation results in all manner of cellular damage—wrinkled skin, cataracts, arterial plaque and, some researchers believe, certain types of cancer. But vitamins and minerals are only one part of the story. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with thousands of different compounds known as phytochemicals, many of which have shown cancer-fighting potential in laboratory studies.

Experts recommend that people with CFS take the following antioxidants daily: 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C, 25,000 international units of beta-carotene, 400 to 800 international units of vitamin E and 50 micrograms of selenium. These recommendations are higher than DV levels. For some people, this much vitamin C can cause diarrhea. And you should talk to your doctor before taking more than 600 international units of vitamin E. They also recommend that you include more antioxidant-rich foods in your diet. Citrus fruits, tomatoes and red bell peppers are great sources of vitamin C.

In fact, computer analyses show that our ancestors' diet provided much more vitamin C and beta-carotene, more iron, potassium and magnesium and about twice as much calcium as most Americans are getting. And they got all this without the benefit of bread, milk, fortified cereals and vitamin supplements. Going against the Grain One of the most controversial areas in ancestral nutrition is the proper role of grains and dairy products—the "new foods" —in our diet. Some proponents say that grains and dairy are foods our bodies weren't designed to eat and haven't "learned" to use effectively.

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Visual disorders In uncontrolled trials conducted as early as 1964, bilberry extract (including isolated anthocyanins), alone or in combination with beta-carotene and retinol, improved vision in healthy subjects and in patients with visual disorders such as myopia.21-55 Enlargement of visual range was observed for patients with pigmentary retinitis56 and retinal sensitivity was improved in patients with hemeralopia (defective vision in bright light).

The Complete Book of Alternative Nutrition Selene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books See book keywords and concepts

Among the vital nutrients are vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, called antioxidants. The antioxidants act as a kind of nutritional SWAT team, fighting to protect the body's cells from damage. They work by disarming harmful molecules called free radicals, which, if left unchecked, damage cells through a chemical reaction known as oxidation. Researchers think the cellular damage caused by oxidation plays a role in a number of different illnesses, from cataracts to cancer to heart disease. If you choose to take antioxidants, Dr.

Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine Simon Mills and Kerry Bone See book keywords and concepts

On the other hand, the disappointing outcomes from the large study on the effects of beta-carotene as a food supplement are a reminder that it is not certain that these constituents will turn out to be any improvement on consumption of the whole plant.3 Epidemiological evidence is so far wholly in this direction. For example, a study in Finland, following a cohort of 9959 cancer-free individuals (from a population of 62 440) for 24 years from 1967, found an inverse relationship between the development of lung and other cancers and the consumption of flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing: A Comprehensive A-Z Listing of Common and Chronic Illnesses and Their Proven Natural Treatments Gary Null, Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

Zinc gluconate, vitamin C, bee propolis, and beta-carotene provide further immune support. Between 4,000 and 10,000 mg of vitamin C will treat an inflammation of the nerve endings, and works especially well with the bioflavonoid quercetin. The amino acid L-lysine can effectively quell an outbreak. At least 500 mg are needed, two to four times a day. B vitamins counteract biochemical stress, and therefore are good as preventive medicine. One good source of B vitamins is bee pollen, unless there is an allergy to bee stings. Other good sources are green algae and the bioflavonoid pycnogenol.

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