Beta-carotene

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

Particularly important are antioxidants such as vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc, selenium, vitamin C, lipoic acid, and cur-cumin. In addition, vitamin B12, carni- The result of treating HIV-positive and AIDS patients with glycyrrhizin is an almost immediate improvement in immune function. In one study, nine symptom-free HIV-positive patients received 200 to 800 mg of glycyrrhizin intravenously each day. After eight weeks, all groups had increased helper T cell levels, improved helper/suppressor cell ratios, and improved liver function.

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND See book keywords and concepts

Take 10,000 to 25,000 international units of beta-carotene daily. ¦ The essential fatty acids (EFAs), found in black currant seed oil, borage oil, evening primrose oil, and flaxseed oil, are required by every cell in the body. They help counteract the hardening effects of cholesterol on cell membranes. Take 500 to 1,000 milligrams of black currant seed, borage, or evening primrose oil, and/or an equal amount of flaxseed oil, two or three times daily. ¦ Lutein, a carotenoid usually extracted from the marigold plant, is very useful in maintaining and restoring ocular health.

Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition Paul Pitchford See book keywords and concepts

Studies indicate that only 10% of synthetic vitamin C is absorbed; in contrast, the absorption and utilization of vitamin C in these green plants above are maximized in the context of beta-carotene, chlorophyll, enzymes, minerals, and other cofactors. Since supplements containing only synthetic nutrients have neither the integrity nor value of whole food, some supplement manufacturers now create a base for vitamins and other nutrients out of such highly nutritional substances as wheat grass, herbs, yeast, and spirulina.

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

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). Western Treatment of Cancer The Western or allopathic treatment of cancer is based upon three major methods: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Prevention's New Foods for Healing: Capture the Powerful Cures of More Than 100 Common Foods Prevention Magazine See book keywords and concepts

This is important because beta-carotene plays a key role in keeping the immune system healthy. It's also a potent antioxidant, meaning that it fights tissue-damaging oxygen molecules known In the Kitchen Some like it hot—and some don't. If you prefer peppers that are sweet to those that make you sweat, here are a few varieties you may want to try. • Bell peppers, which are available in almost every color of the rainbow, can be eaten raw, grilled, baked, or stir-fried. • Pimientos are squat, heart-shaped peppers that aficionados claim are the best-tasting peppers you can buy.

The Super Anti-Oxidants: Why They Will Change the Face of Healthcare in the 21st Century James F. Balch, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Green vegetables are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta-carotene, and chlorophyll. Possibly most important of all, they have potent antioxidant activity. Besides, they are low in fat and high in nutrients, an excellent combination. Fiber-Rich Foods Protect Against Colon Cancer and Other Problems It has been long known that fiber-rich foods protect against colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

Beta-Carotene: sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots, spinach, collard greens, canned pumpkin, cantaloupe. • Beta-cryptoxanthin: papaya, oranges, tangerines. • Lutein and zeaxanthin: kale, collard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, mustard greens, red pepper, okra, romaine lettuce. • Lycopene: tomato juice, watermelon, guava, pink grapefruit, tomatoes. Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 93:284, (1993), chart compiled by ingrid van Tuinen. Recommended amount: 10,000 to 25,000 l.u.s daily.

George Truscott of Keele University in Great Britain indicates that lycopene is at least twice as effective as beta-carotene in reducing damage caused by oxidation. A recent study by Dr. M. Aviram and his team at Ram Bam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, demonstrated that Lyc-O-Mato™, natural tomato oleoresin, greatly increases the resistance of LDL cholesterol to oxidation. We know that oxidation is extremely important in the process of atherosclerosis. So here we have a substance, lycopene, which has a very positive effect against the two major killers in the U.S.

Other antioxidants to protect the brain should include vitamin C (2,000 to 6,000 milligrams in divided doses daily), beta-carotene, and vitamin E (400 to 800 I.U.s daily). Doses are: zinc (50 to 100 milligrams daily); selenium (200 micrograms); the B complex injection (2 cc's of the complex and 1 cc of B12 three times weekly or more); acetyl-L-carnitine (500 milligrams three times daily); acetylcholine (500 milligrams three times daily); phosphatidyl serine (100 milligrams three times per day); and the essential fatty acids (can be taken from flax seed oil, 1 tablespoon per day).

The More, the Beta: Some vegetables are richer in beta-carotene than others, but when you mix them together you get not only a complete dose of carotenes, but a tasty salad as well, one quick and easy way to make a carotene salad is to puree and freeze a pumpkin. Then, whenever you are in the mood for a salad mix, puree with some vinegar and oil, garlic, and other herbs of your choice. Finally, pour the mixture over a salad made up of your favorite greens and other vegetables and you have a light meal or a healthy prelude to a main course.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

We all have come to realize that certain vitamins—vitamins A, C, D, and K; folic acid, beta-carotene, selenium, and the B-complex group— are all beneficial in inhibiting carcinogenesis. In addition, fiber from whole grains and citrus pectin have the beneficial effects of inhibiting and preventing cancer of the large intestine and prostate.

Purslane is high in omega-3 fatty acids; antioxidants; vitamins E, C, and K; beta-carotene; glutathione; and psoralens. Psoralens have powerful antioxidant properties, which— besides fighting cancer—are particularly beneficial for normalizing skin pigmentation. Greens with a bitter flavor, such as dandelion and chicory, more powerfully stimulate detoxification, especially from the liver. They are also potassium-rich foods. They can be served steamed or lightly sauteed with a little olive or sesame oil.

The Food Bible Judith Wills See book keywords and concepts

E, while carrots are high in beta-carotene and low in fat. So try to eat five different fruits and vegetables each day. 3 Items can be cooked, but it is best to cook them without too much added fat or sugar (though vegetables cooked with a little oil are fine). Try to eat one raw salad a day. 4 Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams are excluded as they are starchy carbohydrates and should be counted toward the day's complex carbohydrate intake. However, other root vegetables such as rutabaga, turnip, parsnip, and carrot can be included in the five a day.

The Way of Herbs Michael Tierra See book keywords and concepts

They are also high in vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, anti-carcinogenic minerals and fiber. Because when eaten raw, these vegetables contain a high amount of thyroid lowering agents, they should always be cooked. Some vegetables in this category include cabbage, collards, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens, turnips and radishes. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables Dark green leafy vegetables are high in chlorophyll and other anticarci-nogenic compounds and should be eaten daily, in both raw and cooked forms.

Natural Health Secrets From Around the World Glenn W. Geelhoed, M.D. and Jean Barilla, M.S. See book keywords and concepts

CARROTS Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, which has been tied to a variety of lowered cancer rates. One study in Edinburgh, Scotland specifically tied carrots to a lowered risk of colon cancer. ClTRUS Rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes also contain a substance called limonene that may work by stimulating the body to produce cancer-inhibiting enzymes. In animal studies, when rats were given a drug known to cause breast cancer, orange peel oil reduced the incidence of the disease.

Prevention's New Foods for Healing: Capture the Powerful Cures of More Than 100 Common Foods Prevention Magazine See book keywords and concepts

In fact, storing squash actually causes the amount of beta-carotene to increase, according to Densie Webb, R.D., Ph.D., co-author of Foods for Better Health. Try the summer kind. While zucchini and other kinds of summer squash don't have the rich nutrient stores of winter squash, they do contain a lot of fiber, but only if you eat the peel, says Pamela Savage-Marr, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a health education specialist at Oakwood Health Care System in Dearborn, Michigan. A half-cup of unpeeled, uncooked summer squash contains more than 1 gram of fiber.

You can get plenty of beta-carotene and vitamin C simply by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin E, however, is found mainly in vegetable oils. To get more vitamin E in your diet without all the fat, Dr. Reilly recommends having several servings a day of nuts and seeds, which are high in vitamin E. An even better source of vitamin E is wheat germ. A Sweet Problem For women who frequently get yeast infections, sugary foods can be a real problem because yeast, it appears, likes sweets just as much as we do, Dr. Reilly says.

Miracle Cures: Dramatic New Scientific Discoveries Revealing the Healing Powers of Herbs, Vitamins, and Other Natural Remedies Jean Carper See book keywords and concepts

DIXON'S MIRACLE "It Stopped My Eye Disease" Madison Dixon, age seventy-six, an optometrist in a small town in southern Georgia, had been using antioxidants, mainly vitamin C and beta-carotene, to retard two serious age-related eye problems— cataracts and macular degeneration—for nearly forty years. So when he heard about a new super-potent antioxidant from France called Pyc-nogenol, he was excited, thinking it might work even better to save sight.

IU of beta-carotene; 387 micrograms of selenium, 1.2 grams of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), 3.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), and 90 milligrams of coenzyme Q-10. The cancer did not metastasize outside the breast, but a cancer did reappear in the breast. Close observation by mammogram showed that the tumor was not growing. Indeed, for about a year it seemingly "stabilized at 1.5 to 2 centimeters." In October 1993 Dr. Lockwood and colleagues decided to raise the patients dose of coQ-10 to 390 milligrams a day.

Viral Immunity J. E. Williams, O.M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Most commercial beta-carotene supplements are the synthetic form, so read labels carefully. The supplemental range is from 25,000 IU up to 300,000 IU (100,000 IU = 60 mg). Carotene Safety and Interactions.- Carotenes are considered very safe but should be used with caution in patients with existing liver damage. When taking high dosages or drinking carrot juice daily, the palms of the hands and soles of the feet can take on a distinctive yellow-orange hue. This condition, called carotenosis or carotemia, is harmless and clears up completely once the supplementation or juice is discontinued.

First, juices supply abundant flavonoid antioxidants like vitamin C and beta-carotene; second, they are full of live enzymes. Juices can be made from fresh (organic, if at all possible) vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and should be drunk immediately after juicing. However, if you cannot drink all of your juice just after it is made, fresh juices can be kept in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours. Still, I highly recommend that you take your juice straight from the juicer directly to your mouth.

In fact, grape seed extracts have stronger antioxidant effects than vitamins C and E, or beta-carotene. PCOs also exert antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergic effects. Proanthocyanidins are found in pine bark, grape seeds and grape skin (and therefore in red wine), tea (green and black), and many herbs, notably bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), black currants (Ribes nigrum), and elderberry (Sambucus nigra). Antiviral effects have been shown with elderberry extracts against influenza virus.

In this case, the diet does not provide sufficient amounts of essential immune nutrients like vitamin A, zinc, and beta-carotene. Teenagers eating a diet of predominantly junk foods, as well as marginalized low-income people eating excess refined carbohydrates, are chronically undernourished in this manner. And, over time, they may develop a chronic low-level immune deficiency. In industrialized nations, overeating and consuming excess amounts of the wrong foods cause the most problems. Dietary stressors cause disease and can negatively affect the immune system.

Numerous studies have shown that beta-carotene reduces oxidative stress in HIV and AIDS, and can assist in endothelial tissue preservation. Carotenoids are found only in plants, and the intense red, blue, purple, yellow, and orange colors in fruits and vegetables are due to plant pigments that have high carotenoid content. There are over 600 known carotenoids in nature, though only about 30 to 50 have vitamin A activity.

Permanent Remissions Robert Hass, M.S. See book keywords and concepts

Such phytonutrients as lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene; vitamins Bl, B5, B6, C, and E; the minerals selenium and zinc; coenzyme Q10, uric acid; and three enzymes in your body—superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase—are all antioxidants. By neutralizing free radicals, antioxidants prevent damage to cell membranes and genetic material, such as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). 341 Section III -?

The Herbal Drugstore Linda B. White, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Tomatoes are very high in ly-copene, an antioxidant pigment similar to beta-carotene, but much more potent, at least where the prostate is concerned. The lycopene in fresh tomatoes does not appear to be absorbed very well, but cooking increases its absorbability, especially when it is combined with oil. Particularly good dietary sources of lycopene include organic catsup and organic tomato paste. Lycopene is also available in tablet form. Typical dosage: 10 to 30 milligrams per day.

Viral Immunity J. E. Williams, O.M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Besides beta-carotene, other carotenoids are also important in disease prevention. These include alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, beta-zeacarotene, cryptoxanthine, zeaxanthine, lutein, and lycopene. The red color in tomatoes and watermelon is due to pigmentation from lycopene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Lutein, found in cool-weather, green, leafy vegetables like kale, collards, peas, and romaine lettuce, may help to prevent macular degeneration in the eyes.

The Food Bible Judith Wills See book keywords and concepts

ANTIOXIDANTS The vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene, along with the mineral selenium, and many of the phytochemicals discussed later, are antioxidants, which protect our bodies against the damaging effects of an excess of substances called "free radicals." Everyone produces free radicals in the process of creating energy and this is quite normal. However, excess may be produced by various factors, such as stress, tobacco smoking, pollution, sunlight, radiation, illness, and so on.

Permanent Remissions Robert Hass, M.S. See book keywords and concepts

Coenzyme Q10 inhibits LDL-cholesterol oxidation more efficiently than either lycopene, beta-carotene, or vitamin E. Studies have shown that coenzyme Q10: • Significantly reduces hospitalization times and the incidence of serious complications in patients with chronic congestive heart failure.

The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Person's Guide to the Wonders of Medicinal Plants Michael T. Murray, N.D. See book keywords and concepts

Large-scale studies with vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene have shown that these antioxidants are capable of significantly reducing the risk of dying of a heart attack or a stroke. For example, one study of 87,245 nurses discovered that nurses who took 100 international units (IU) of vitamin E daily for more than 2 years had a 41 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to nonusers of vitamin E supplements.

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