Beta-Carotene is a carotenoid (a natural food coloring) found in orange and yellow fruits and veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, and cantaloupe. Once consumed it is converted into Vitamin A in the body.
Among its health benefits:
· Antioxidant,
· Eye Health,
· Skin Health,
· Immune Support, and
· Heart Health.
Fun fact: consuming excessive amounts of beta-carotene can cause a usually benign condition called carotenemia where the skin becomes yellow or orange colored!
Interestingly, there is no RDA for beta-carotene specifically, but there is for Vitamin A. Therefore, when instructed to “eat a rainbow”, you can look at the RDA for Vitamin A for determination of Beta-carotene. There is a growing opinion we should do the same for other important bioactives, especially the plant pigments.
bioactives #medicinalplants #betacarotene #phytochemicals