Benefits of Carotenoids

Carotenoids are tiny little substances that give plants their color. They are also antioxidants, substances that are particularly important in boosting health. These substances, or antioxidants, have many health benefits. The most well-known health benefits include helping to prevent certain forms of cancer.

Carotenoids may also help prevent heart disease, and may help boost the immune response to certain types of infection. Carotenoids are specific to vitamin A. They are most often found in fruits and vegetables with a red-orange pigment, including carrots, strawberries and peaches. Carotenoids are capable of converting to vitamin A, which gives them their powerful punch.

The Power of Antioxidants

The antioxidant power of carotenoids includes high anti-inflammatory action. Carotenoid containing foods that have this powerful antioxidant capability can also provide preventive protection against certain cancers like lung cancer. Studies suggest that foods containing the most carotenoid with vitamin A value are less likely to develop lung cancer even if they smoke.

That’s pretty powerful news. The best types of foods to eat containing these powerful substances are foods containing the deepest colors of red-orange or yellow. Good examples include carrots, which also contain high levels of beta-carotene, another powerful antioxidant.

When to Eat Carotenoids

Some studies believe that how effective carotenoids are depend on when you eat them. If you ingest carotenoids before your cells have become precancerous, then you are most likely to benefit from the antioxidant activity of these cancer fighting substances the most.

Carotenoids are most beneficial at reducing and preventing mutations in genes that cause cancer and related diseases. Carotenoids can also prevent free radicals from harming the DNA inside of cells, which can lead to gene mutations. If you are not interested in eating foods that are high in this powerful substance, there are supplements available that do contain carotenoids.