| Kopsell D, Kopsell D, Curran-Celentano J. carotenoid variability among kale and spinach cultivars. Hortscience. 2004;(2):34.
Motohashi N et al. Cancer prevention and therapy with kiwifruit in Chinese folklore medicine: a study of kiwifruit extracts. / Ethnopharmacol. 2002 Aug;81(3):357-364.
Rinzler CA. The New Complete Book of Food: A Nutritional, Medical, and Culinary Guide. New York: Checkmark Books, 1999.
Lemons www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lemon.html
Khaw KT, Day N, Symmons DP. Vitamin C and the risk of developing inflammatory polyarthritis: prospective nested case-control study. |
| A prospective study of carotenoid intake and risk of cataract extraction in US men. Am } Clin Nutr. 1999 Oct;70(4):431-432.
Chu YF, Sun J, Wu X, Liu RH. Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of common vegetables.} Agric Food Chem. 2002 Nov6;50(23):6910-6916.
Kelemen et al. Vegetables, fruit, and antioxidant-related nutrients and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a National Cancer Institute—surveillance, epidemiology, and end results population-based case-control study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jun;83(6):1401-1410.
Kuriyama I et al. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Lutein and zeaxanthin, both members of the carotenoid family, are being extensively researched for their demonstrated ability to reduce or prevent macular degeneration, the number-one cause of blindness in older adults.
And by the way, the broccoli head is actually the flower of the plant. But according to natural-foods expert Rebecca Wood, cofounder of the East West Center in Boulder, Colorado, there are plenty of nutrients in the stalks as well. She suggests peeling the fibrous skin off the stalks and using them. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 It is a naturally occurring carotenoid pigment found in fresh fruits and green and yellow vegetables. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in vivo. The best dietary sources of beta-carotene include carrots, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, green leafy lettuce, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, and winter squash. Ordinary cooking does not destroy beta-carotene (USP DI 2004).
Beta-carotene is often used in complementary clinical settings. It is useful in diminishing the photosensitivity reactions that occur in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. |
The Editors of FC&A
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| Red seedless grapes are a good source of lutein, a carotenoid that's been shown to combat early atherosclerosis. In recent studies, lutein helped prevent thickening of the carotid artery in the neck, an indication of atherosclerosis. It also reduced inflammation of LDL cholesterol in artery walls.
• Strawberries are loaded with antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, ellagic acid, assorted carotenoids, and antho-cyanins. These mighty berries can cut cholesterol levels by 10 percent. So why not toss some into your breakfast cereal? |
Bill Sardi
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 Sources: USDA-NCC carotenoid Database for U.S. Foods - 1998 and other sources small amounts of lycopene. Just 2-4 servings of tomatoes per week, or just 6-8 mg of lycopene per day, has a preventive effect. [Journal Nutrition 134: 3486-92S, 2004]
Lycopene prostate concentration
There is about a 10-fold variance in lycopene concentration in the prostate gland. There is significant inter-individual variation, meaning these are ways to enhance utilization and delivery of lycopene to the prostate gland. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 People in the highest quintile for consumption of spinach or collard greens, plants high in the carotenoid lutein, had a 46% decrease in risk of age-related macular degeneration compared to those in the lowest quintile who consumed these vegetables less than once per month (Seddon et al. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1994;272:1413).
Evidence that Polyphenols are Protective
Flavonoid consumption has been linked to lower risk of heart disease in some, but not all, studies. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 Super Prescription #7 Mixed carotenoid complex
Take 25,000 IU one to two times daily. It provides lutein, zeaxthanin, beta carotene, and other carotenoids that protect the lens. opulation studies show that people who take multivitamins or supplements containing vitamins C or E for more than ten years have up to a 60 percent lower risk of forming cataracts.
General Recommendations
Ginkgo biloba has a well-deserved reputation as a free-radical scavenger. It also offers general support and protection to the eyes. |
| A mixed carotenoid complex contains a blend of carotenoids that protects against ultraviolet light damage. Take 25,000 IU twice daily.
Digestive enzymes improve digestion and absorption. Take a full-spectrum complex with each meal.
Grapeseed extract or maritime pine bark extract scavenges free radicals from the eye and the brain and improves circulation. Take 150 to 300 mg daily.
Taurine is an amino acid that is believed to protect the retina from ultraviolet light damage. Take 500 mg twice daily on an empty stomach.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy may be helpful for macular degeneration. |
| Lutein
Description: Lutein is a member of the carotenoid family. It has antioxidant activity and is known to be a key component of the macula, an area of the retina that is responsible for vision. It is mainly used as a supplement to prevent and treat macular degeneration.
Indications: Cataracts
Macular degeneration Precautions: No side effects have been reported.
Dosage: Take 15 mg daily if you have macular degeneration and up to 5 mg daily as a preventative dosage.
Lycopene
Description: Lycopene is a member of the carotenoid family. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| And they're one of the few foods around that contain lycopene, a member of the carotenoid family that has been shown in quite a bit of research to be associated with lower risk of prostate cancer. The amount of lycopene in the average pepper isn't substantial, but it's more than in most foods, and every little bit helps.
Though early studies using supplemental beta-carotene with smokers did not turn out the way we had hoped, the natural vitamin A and other compounds in peppers may in fact turn out to be protective. |
Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
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 The formula also happens to contain more antioxidants than I have ever seen in a lipstick, including cranberry and astaxanthin (a carotenoid pigment). So why the unhappy face rating? Aveda added peppermint oil to this product; and you'll feel the tingling from the moment you apply it. I wish that tingle were a positive sign, but alas, it isn't. All the antioxidants and the outstanding sunscreen (not to mention some beautiful colors) don't mean much if peppermint is there causing irritation. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| One cup of mashed pumpkin contains more than 5,000 meg of beta-carotene, another 853 of alpha-carotene, and more than 3,500 meg of beta-cryptoxanthin, a member of the carotenoid family that seems to reduce the risk of lung and colon cancer. Studies have shown that beta-cryptoxanthin can reduce the risk of lung cancer by more than 30 percent. Other studies have shown that it reduces the risk for rheumatoid arthritis as well (by 41 percent in one study). It appears to have strong antioxidant properties. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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| This same dose of light did not appreciably affect the concentration of skin beta-carotene, another carotenoid. Three days after the ultraviolet exposure a 6-mm skin biopsy was obtained and levels of lycopene and beta-carotene determined (Ribaya-Mercado et al, 1995). clinical trials
Breast Cancer
A cohort epidemiological study of 88 Finish patients evaluated the relative risk (RR) of developing breast cancer. The comparison was between those- in the third tertile (highest) versus those in the first tertile of serum lycopene levels. The RR was approximately 1. |
Jack Challem
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 Lycopene
Lycopene, a red carotenoid found in tomatoes and watermelon, concentrates in the prostate and can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In one study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health reported that high intake of tomato sauces, rich in lycopene and related carotenoids, reduced the risk of prostate cancer by 45 percent. Still other research has found strong associations between high intake of lycopene (or tomatoes) and a low risk of other cancers, including those of the pancreas, colon, breast, and cervix. |
Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey
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 Also, nondietary factors that are among the determinants of plasma carotenoid concentrations (e.g., body mass, plasma cholesterol concentration) will influence the absolute concentration that is observed in response to dietary intake, so these characteristics must be used as adjustment factors.
Although vitamin C also is provided predominantly by fruits and vegetables in the diet, this measure is much less useful as a biomarker of this dietary pattern because the relationship between vitamin C intake and plasma concentration is linear only up to a certain threshold [29]. |
Brenda Davis and Tom Barnard
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 The most well-recognized carotenoid is beta-carotene, which is our most important plant source of vitamin A; others are alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, canthaxanthin, cryptox-anthin, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. In addition to vitamin-like activity, carotenoids are antioxidants—efficient free radical scavengers.
The active form of vitamin A, which is found in animal foods, is a very poor antioxidant. While carotenoids in foods have been found to offer protection against cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, supplements do not appear to provide similar benefits. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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| Post-harvest degradation of carotenoid glucose esters in saffron. In: PM 60(5):438. 1994.
Thesen R, Phytotherapeutika - nicht immer harmlos. In: ZPT 9(49): 105. 1988.
Wagner K, Dissertation Universitat Saarbriicken. 1969. Further information in:
Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Vol. 1, 2nd Ed., CRC Press 1975.
Frohne D, Pfander HJ: Giftpflanzen - Ein Handbuch fiir Apotheker, Toxikologen und Biologen, 4. Aufl., Wiss. Verlagsges. mbH Stuttgart 1997.
Kern W, List PH, Horhammer L (Hrsg.), Hagers Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 4. Aufl. |
Elaine Magee
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 One recent study, for example, compared how the body responds to lutein (a type of carotenoid) when it's taken as a supplement versus as a food source. It found that although lutein supplements decrease beta-carotene concentrations in the body, lutein from food (like yellow carrots) actually increased measurable lutein levels in the body without affecting beta-carotene levels. In my opinion, our best source of nutrients and phytochemicals has always been and will always be, quite simply, food. |
| Lycopene, considered the most potent antioxidant in the carotenoid family, is by far the most well-known food substance to show a protective role against prostate cancer, notes Weldon. "This finding was recently bolstered by the discovery that men who eat tomatoes and tomato products frequently have high levels of lycopene in the tissues of the prostate and testes," he says.
HOW STRONG IS DIET'S LINK TO CANCER? |
| A decade ago, we didn't even know about phytochemicals, such as the powerful antioxidant lycopene (a red carotenoid found mainly in tomatoes), anthocyanin (a powerful antioxidant that gives berries their deep blue color), and pterostilbene (which appears to turn on a switch in cells that breaks down fat and cholesterol).
It's not that food synergy hasn't been studied over the years. Researchers, however, tend to isolate a nutrient or phytochemical and then study its effects without necessarily looking for relationships between foods or nutrients. |
| Whether it's the two vegetables high in viscous fiber (like eggplant and okra) or the cruciferous vegetables (like kale and broccoli) with all those anticancer organosulfur compounds or the carotenoid family (carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, etc.) that offers a rich mix of phytochemicals, the message is simple: The more the merrier! Get as many vegetables as you can as often as you can.
Get your daily dark greens. Try to enjoy a dark green veggie almost every day. |
Gale Maleskey
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 Include the carotenoid Crew
Research has connected a group of substances called carotenoids with a reduced risk of cancer. In most of the studies, however, researchers studied the effects of carotenoid-rich foods rather than supplements.
Sometimes called carotenes, carotenoids are named for the vegetable that is one of the richest food sources—the lowly carrot. That's not the only vegetable that contains this valuable nutrient, though. The giveaway is vivid color. |
Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey
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| Finally, an intervention trial in the United States found no effect of P-carotene supplementation on prostate cancer risk [281], though a similar trial in Finland found a decreased risk among nondrinkers of alcohol but an increased risk among drinkers [269].
A carotenoid of particular interest with regard to prostate cancer is lycopene, found primarily in tomatoes and tomato products (other food sources include watermelon, grapefruit, and guava). |
| A prospective study of carotenoid intake and risk of cataract extraction in US men [comment]. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 70, 517-524.
68. Jacques, P. F., Chylack, L. T., Jr., Hankinson, S. E., et al. (2001). Long-term nutrient intake and early age-related nuclear lens opacities. Arch. Ophthalmol. 119, 1009-1019.
69. Vu, H. T. V., Robman, L., Hodge, A., McCarty, C. A., and Taylor, H. R. (2006). Lutein and zeaxanthin and the risk of cataract: the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 47, 3783-3786.
70. Ferrigno, L., Aldigeri, R., Rosmini, F., Sperduto, R. D. |
Elaine Magee
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| A decade ago, we knew much less about phytochemicals, such as the powerful antioxidant lycopene (a red carotenoid found mainly in tomatoes), anthocyanins (potent antioxidants that give berries their deep blue color), and pterostilbene (which appears to turn on a switch in cells that breaks down fat and cholesterol) in blueberries and two grape varieties—Gamay and Pinot
Noir. And the bioflavonoids are actually thought to have more antioxidant power than vitamins C and E. |
Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey
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| Carotenoid mixtures protect multilamellar liposomes against oxidative damage: synergistic effects of lycopene and lutein. FEBS Lett. 427, 305-308.
118. Wrona, M., Korytowski, W., Rozanowska, M., Sarna, T., and Truscott, T. G. (2003). Cooperation of antioxidants in protection against photosensitized oxidation. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 35, 1319-1329.
119. Wrona, M., Rozanowska, M., and Sarna, T. (2004). Zeax-anthin in combination with ascorbic acid or alpha-tocopherol protects ARPE-19 cells against photosensitized peroxidation of lipids. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 36, 1094-1101.
120. |
| In a cohort study involving 1511 women previously diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, who were followed for an average of 7 years, women in the highest quartile of plasma total carotenoid concentration had an estimated 43% reduction in risk for a new breast cancer event (recurrence or new primary) compared to the lowest quintile [206]. |
| Feasibility study reports and trial data from this study indicated excellent adherence [210-212] and increased intake of vegetables and fruit in the intensive intervention group was validated by plasma carotenoid concentrations. Overall findings indicate no significant differences in risks for recurrence or survival in the intensive intervention versus the control group over a mean 7.3-year follow-up. Notably, the study participants reported at baseline an average daily consumption of 7. |
Stephanie Beling
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 In other words, it looks as if it's the carotenoid cocktail that packs the wallop, not just a particular carotenoid and certainly not just one substance in isolation. In other words, it's better to eat the whole carrot, and it's better still to eat it in combination with tomatoes and sweet potatoes or other PowerFoods.
To date, over 600 carotenoids have been identified. As antioxidants, the carotenoids also protect heart health, act as anti-inflammatories, and help us resist the effects of aging. |
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