Mark Hyman, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 The color occurs because they are full of antioxidants like carotene, lycopene, lutein, xanthine, proanthocyandins, and xeanthins.)
In order to process the food we eat, we need all of the specific nutrients that are normally found in high-NCR foods; these prevent oxidative stress. That's why it's better to eat whole wheat or whole grain bread instead of white bread made from refined flour. You will gain the benefit of the B vitamins, vitamin E, and the other vitamins and minerals found within the whole foods. |
Heather Boon, BScPhm, PhD and Michael Smith, BPharm, MRPharmS, ND
See book keywords and concepts |
 Protection Against Radiation
One study in irradiated rats suggests that Echinacea purpurea promoted the effective functioning of the vitamin E redox system by mobilizing the body's stores of liposoluble vitamin A, carotene and vitamin E. |
Dianne Onstad
See book keywords and concepts |
 Beta carotene (A)
81 mg n/a
Thiamine (BO
0.040-0.540 mg n/a
Riboflavin (B2)
0.050-0.067 mg n/a
Niacin (Bj)
0.600-1.050 mg n/a
Pantothenic Acid (B5)
0.260 mg n/a
Pyridoxine (B6)
0.578 mg n/a
Folic Acid (B9)
19.1 meg n/a
Ascorbic Acid (C)
5.60-36.40 mg n/a
Tocopherol (E)
0.270 mg n/a
Bananas can be eaten raw straight out of their jackets, peeled and used in fruit salads, baked, fried, flambeed with liqueurs, and added to pies, ice creams, cakes, and bread. Where appearance is important they should be used immediately, or sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. |
Bradley J. Willcox, M.D., D. Craig Willcox, Ph.D., Makoto Suzuki, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Kelp is, in fact, a very important food in Okinawa—and amazingly rich in potassium, calcium, iodine, and carotene. It thrives in the cold waters of northern Japan. When Japan traded with China in the old days of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the ships always made a stop at Naha (Okinawa's capital) and unloaded wilted kelp at bargain prices. Sharp business folks, the Uchinanchu (Okinawans) never failed to snap up all the excess kelp. Okinawa is still the number-one kelp-eating prefecture in Japan. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Warning: Insufficient protein intake (beware, vegetarians) and an elevated serum carotene level from too much carrot juice or carotene supplementation can also cause amenorrhea.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
• Fatty acids. Begin a therapeutic trial of essential fatty acids. Take unrefined flaxseed oil (1 or 2 teaspoons daily) and borage oil (one capsule two or three times a day).
• To promote the metabolism of essential fatty acids, add vitamin E (400 I.U. |
Dianne Onstad
See book keywords and concepts |
| Beta carotene (A)
35-40 IU n/a
Thiamine (Bj)
0.080-0.085 mg n/a
Riboflavin (B2)
0.033-0.070 mg n/a
Niacin (B3)
0.506-0.920 mg n/a
Pantothenic Acid (B5)
0.457 mg n/a
Ascofbic Acid (C)
15-33 mg n/a
The breadfruit was regarded as a romantic symbol of abundance and easy living by early inhabitants of the Pacific Islands. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
See book keywords and concepts |
 Also take a mixed carotene complex containing alpha-, beta-, and gamma-carotene, as well as lycopene. Take 5 milligrams three times daily.
Note: If you are pregnant, or intend to get pregnant, or if you have liver disease, consult your doctor before taking supplemental vitamin A. Pregnant women should not ingest a total of more than 25,000 international units of supplemental vitamin A per week from all sources.
¦ Zinc promotes healing. Take 15 milligrams three times daily, before meals. |
Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC
See book keywords and concepts |
 Risk of angina pectoris and plasma concentrations of vitamins A, C, and E and carotene. Lancet 1991; 337: 1-5.
11. Rinzler SH, Bakst H, Benjamin ZH, et al. Failure of alpha-tocopherol to influence chest pain in patients with heart disease. Circulation 1950; 1: 288-90.
12. Rapola RM, Virtamo J, Haukka JK, et al. Effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of angina pectoris. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. JAMA 1996; 275: 693-98.
13. Miwa K, Miyagi Y, Igawa A, et al. Vitamin E deficiency in variant angina. Circulation 1996; 94: 14-18.
14. |
Henry Pasternak, D.V.M., C.V.A.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Certain carotenoids are precursors to vitamin A and can be metabolically converted (except in cats) into vitamin A in the body. Beta carotene has the highest potential vitamin A activity; other provitamin A carotenoids include alpha-carotene and cryptoxanthin.
As mentioned previously, carotenoids are effective quenchers of singlet oxygen (free radicals). Lycopene exhibits the highest free radical quenching activity.42
Boosting the Immune System
Carotenoids have demonstrated a number of immune-enhancing effects in recent studies. |
Robert Hass, M.S.
See book keywords and concepts |
 The Permanent Remissions program contains the latest information on the carotene content including lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, and xeaxanthin, of foods and supermarket food products. The Permanent Remissions program will help build you a healthy diet based on the latest phytonutrient research on these disease-fighting compounds from vegetables and fruits.
The program will graph the amino-acid content of foods and recipes. |
Dr. Mary Dan Eades
See book keywords and concepts |
 This series of tests, dubbed CARET, for carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trials, looks at this connection between the carotenoids and the retinols and cancer prevention. The hypothesis hinges on the knowledge that beta-carotene acts as a protective antioxidant, preventing cellular damage, and retinol acts to normalize cell growth and intercellular communication. In concert, the researchers hope the pair of vitamins will reduce the occurrence of lung cancer.
Work, presented at a symposium on Adjuvant Nutrition in Cancer Treatment by Mark Levine, M.D. |
Gary Null
See book keywords and concepts |
 Beta carotene is a safe form of vitamin A, which stops damage from bodily pollution, bolsters the immune system, inhibits viruses, and prevents premature aging.
A study done by Dr. Semba of Johns Hopkins showed that a vitamin A deficiency was associated with HIV-positive and AIDS patients. It concluded that this deficiency was a serious risk factor in the disease. In a different study, Dr. Semba's team found that a lack of vitamin A was positively correlated with death from AIDS.
On the other hand, a number of studies chart improvements when beta carotene is administered. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
 One large glass of canot juice can contain 100,000-200,000 IU of provitamin A ot carotene. The problem with carrot juice is
- -
The venous system:
Cancer cells may travel through the veins, often to the liver and the lungs.
Middle colic vein
Superior mesenteric artety and vein
Ascending colon
Lymph nc
Transverse colon
Primary cancer
2.
The lymphatic system:
Cancer cells may move through this series of channels from the tissues to lymph nodes and eventually to the circulatory system. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 But doctors could not say whether such low carotene levels were a cause of the illness, or simply the result, of the disease process (4).
Unfortunately, there have been few studies that have tested high doses of beta-carotene as a treatment against human cancer. One not-quite-cancerous condition that has been clinically studied is leukoplakia ("white patches"), which is often associated with an increased risk of mouth cancer.
Vitamin A-like substances, particularly the acne medication Accutane® (13-cis-retinoic acid) can often reverse leukoplakia. |
Prevention Magazine
See book keywords and concepts |
 Carotenoids are also prevalent in dark-green, leafy vegetables like spinach—only you can't see them because the green chlorophyll in these plants overpowers the lighter carotene pigments.
Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants, making them prime fighters against heart disease and cancer. "There are good, clear associations between eating a lot of beta-carotene-packed foods and low levels of heart disease and cancer," says carotenoid researcher Dexter L. Morris, M.D., Ph.D. |
Dianne Onstad
See book keywords and concepts |
| Beta carotene (A)
0 IU
Fiber n/a
Thiamine (Bi)
0.009 mg
Calcium
4mg
Riboflavin (B2)
0.010 mg
Iron n/a
Niacin (B5)
0.219 mg
Magnesium
8mg
Pantothenic Acid(Bs)
0.070 mg
Phosphorus
11 mg
Pyridoxine (B6)
0.022 mg
Potassium
121 mg
Folic Acid (B,)
8 meg
Sodium
Omg
Ascorbic Acid (C)
1.2mg-3.8g
Zinc
0.02 mg twenty-five hundred to three thousand years. By the time of the Han dynasty (first century b.c.), there were large orchards planted along the Huai and Yellow rivers. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
| Nutrient analysis tevealed that Alzheimer's disease patients took less vitamin C and carotene and consumed significantly smaller amounts of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) reflecting the low consumption of fish. These habits started from three months to 44 years before the onset of dementia, suggesting these dietary abnormalities are not metely the consequence of dementia (Otsuka 2000).
A study by Giem et al. (1993) investigated the relationship between animal product consumption and evidence of dementia in two cohort studies of 272 and 2984 subjects in California. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Warning: Insufficient protein intake (beware, vegetarians) and an elevated serum carotene level from too much carrot juice or carotene supplementation can also cause amenorrhea.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
• Fatty acids. Begin a therapeutic trial of essential fatty acids. Take unrefined flaxseed oil (1 or 2 teaspoons daily) and borage oil (one capsule two or three times a day).
• To promote the metabolism of essential fatty acids, add vitamin E (400 I.U. |
The Life Extension Editorial Staff
See book keywords and concepts |
| Eichholzet et al. 1992).
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). |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
 Kelp contains protein as well as the nutrients carotene, calcium, iodine, iron, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and vitamin C, all of which are necessary for the immune system's functional integrity.
Chinese herbalists have long considered mushrooms to be the most beneficial of all medicinal foods; however, the ordinary culinary mushrooms found at the supermarket are not as advantageous to the immune system as the more exotic reishi, maitake, or shiitake mushrooms. Modern research has determined that these mushrooms can support immune function. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| It is therefore preferable to find a mixed carotene supplement, a concentrate of what you are getting in so-called beta-carotene-rich vegetables. Scientific Botanicals of Seattle, Washington, makes such a supplement, called Beta Plex. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
| The high amounts of carotene, vitamin C, and selenium make this vegetable excellent for cancer treatment. Fresh asparagus contains high amounts of histones, folic acid, and nucleic acid, which simulate immune function. It is a good source of folate, a B vitamin that plays an important role in cell division and may help to prevent birth defects and protect against heart disease and cervical cancer. The parts eaten are the tips and entire spear (when tender). |
Ralph Moss, PhD
See book keywords and concepts |
 CARET
Next came CARET, the carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial. This was designed by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) as one of its major trials. The nurnose was to find out if 30 milliprams ner dav of svnrhe.tic beta-carotene and 25,000 IU of vitamin A could reduce the incidence of lung cancer in high-risk populations. The subjects were either smokers or people known to have been exposed to asbestos, which can cause a kind of lung cancer.
CARET began in 1985 with full-scale recruitment starting in 1989. |
Gary Null
See book keywords and concepts |
 And by the way, the human digestive system is not particularly well equipped for converting carotene into vitamin A. Studies show that only one-sixth of the carotene you eat may be converted to vitamin A. Beyond that, only a third of that amount may actually be digested.
How much vitamin A should you take? Since each of us is biochemically different, the suggested intake varies. A lot of it depends on factors such as how much fat and other nutrients you eat. |
Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Beta carotene, the most famous of the carotenoids, has long intrigued researchers because of its pro-vitamin A activity—that is, it is converted to vitamin A as the body needs it. Much research has been done on beta carotene, but lesser-known carotenoids such as lycopene, which do not have any pro-vitamin A activity, have long been ignored. Until very recentiy it was believed that these "junk" carotenoids served little purpose other than to color food. More careful investigation, however, has shed new light on the unique role of carotenoids such as lycopene. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 For many people (physicians included), the term "carotene" is synonymous with "provitamin A," but only thirty to fifty of the more than four hundred carotenoids that have been characterized are believed to have vitamin A activity.17
Considerable evidence now demonstrates that carotenes do much more than serve as a precursor to vitamin A. Included in these effects are potent antioxidant effects. |
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Take it with beta carotene, another form of vitamin A. If you're pregnant, take small dosages only, to prevent possible birth defects. For most people (but not pregnant women), a reasonable daily dosage would be at least 10,000 units. Many people, though, take multiple vitamins that contain 25,000 units of vitamin A, and 15 mg of beta carotene.
B Vitamins
Absolutely vital for neuronal growth and vitality. The four B vitamins that are most important for your brain are Bj2, B6, Bj, and folic acid. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Calcium, carotene, electrolytes, folic acid, iron and the fat-soluble vitamins A, B12, D, E and K.
What Else to Take If You Take These Drugs
Take supplements of vitamins A, B12, D, E and K as well as folic acid, iron, electrolytes, beta-carotene and calcium.
To reduce constipation drink at least eight glasses of water every day and eat foods high in fiber like whole grains, vegetables and fruit.
Other Tips on These Drugs
Because of the absorbing mechanism of these drugs, take other medications or supplements at least one hour before or four to six hours after a bile acid sequestrant. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
See book keywords and concepts |
 Nutrients: Amino acids, calcium, choline, chromium, essential fatty acids, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, zinc, vitamins B-|, B2, B3, and C.
Dilates the coronary blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and restores heart muscle. Decreases fat deposit levels. Increases intracellular vitamin C levels. Useful for anemia, cardiovascular and circulatory disorders, high cholesterol, and lowered immunity.
Caution: Do not use if you take medication for heart disease. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Beta carotene is also essential for normal cell-to-cell communication, yet we consume only a fraction of the beta carotene found in ancient diets.
These systems work in concert, so a dietary deficiency that affects one system, such as the antioxidant system, has a domino effect on the other defenses. It's no surprise that numerous nutrients in abundance in ancient diets—from vitamins E, B6, C, and D to magnesium, chromium, calcium, and zinc—are low in the diets of people today who are at risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. |
Email this page to a friend
