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HWN Suggests

How vegetables can give you that golden glow

How come? Well, the key component is the carotenoid, an antioxidant responsible for the red colouring found in, for instance, tomatoes, peppers, plums and carrots. That redness eventually imbues the human skin with yellowness, or rather a healthy-looking golden glow. "Carotenoids are stored in fat under the skin," Stephen explains. "They are also secreted through the skin in serum, and are then reabsorbed into the top layer of the skin, bestowing that golden colour."

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Featured

 The "Comeback" Carotenoids

Public confidence in beta-carotene, long considered a leading antioxidant, has been shaken during the past few years by negative studies that showed it can increase the risk of lung cancer and coronary heart disease. But a review of published research during this time shows far more positive than negative findings. Several important themes have emerged. One, natural beta-carotene (from Dunaliella salina algae) is different and apparently better than the synthetic form, which was used in the studies with negative results. Two, related carotenoids, particularly lutein and lycopene, look promising as antioxidants and cancer fighters and should be among the mix of supplemental carotenoids. Three, there is a synergism among carotenoids and other antioxidants, such as vitamins E and C, and the sum effect may be greater than the parts.

 Tracing the Roots of Beautiful Bird Hues

Baby flamingos are fluffy and adorably awkward. But they’re not pink. The fuzzy infants start off as white or gray, only later earning a distinctive rosy hue. That’s because these beautifully dorky birds don’t make their own color, but co-opt it from their microscopic meals. Flamingo pink is created by carotenoids – organic pigments present in the algae and tiny crustaceans flamingos sieve from the water. Rather than breaking down in the birds’ stomachs, though, the pigments enter the bloodstream and get sucked up into feathers as they form. How pink a flamingo is depends on what the bird is eating.

Articles of Interest

Benefits of Carotenoids: What Colors Are on Your Plate?

To find foods rich in carotenoids, just look for richly colored red, yellow, orange and dark green fruits, vegetables and herbs. This will lead you right to alpha and beta carotene, lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthine — to name just a few of more than 600 known types of carotenoids found in foods of plant origin.

Carotenoids are more bioavailable from papaya than from tomato and carrot in humans: a randomised cross-over study

Carrot, tomato and papaya represent important dietary sources of β-carotene and lycopene. The main objective of the present study was to compare the bioavailability of carotenoids from these food sources in healthy human subjects

Carotenoids: How Effective Are They to Prevent Age-Related Diseases?

Nearly 600 carotenoids have been identified in nature to modulate a broad spectrum of functions. However, only about 50 carotenoids are found in a typical human diet, while about 20 carotenoids are present in human tissues and blood.

Eat the Rainbow: The Health Benefits of Carotenoids

Great for your body, these pigmented nutrients give fruits and veggies their vibrant hues.

Fact or Fiction?: Carrots Improve Your Vision

Can scarfing carrots really help you see better in the dark?

Keep eating your carrots despite beta-carotene study

The OSU researchers weren't suggesting people forego eating foods high in beta-carotene. So go ahead and enjoy your vitamin A supplements (within reason) and eat as many carrots as you like. You can’t eat your way to beta-carotene toxicity, even if you are Bugs Bunny.

Metabolism and Function of Carotenoids and Their Derivatives Across Kingdoms

Carotenoids are widespread isoprenoid pigments, vital for photosynthetic organisms and human health. In addition, they are the precursor of retinoids, such as vitamin A, and plant growth regulators and hormones involved in almost all aspects of plant life, including growth, development, stress response and communication with biotic environment. In contrast to plants and many microorganisms, animals, including mammals, cannot synthesize carotenoids de novo. They obtain carotenoids through the diet and can accumulate, modify and convert them into retinoids and other bioactive apocarotenoid

Overview of the Potential Beneficial Effects of Carotenoids on Consumer Health and Well-Being

Carotenoids are often called by their biological origin, such as carotene from carrot, zeaxanthin from Zea mays, and lutein from Macula lutea. However, to facilitate discussion about these important molecules, a systematic approach to nomenclature has been defined.

Pumpkin: More Than Just Pie

It’s in the same plant family as squash, cucumber and melons, very similar to butternut squash, yet it’s mostly forgotten and left out of our diet. Its bright orange color denotes a rich content of carotenoids, the precursors to vitamin A. Nurses Health Studies indicate that a diet high in carotenoids can decrease the risk of cataracts and cancer.

What are carotenoids?

Carotenoids are a group of red, yellow and orange fat-soluble plant pigments. There are over 600 different types of carotenoids and they produce the vibrant burst of colours that we see in many of our fruit and vegetables. A few of the common carotenoids are: alpha carotene, beta-carotene, beta cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin.

What Is the Current Direction of the Research on Carotenoids and Human Health? An Overview of Registered Clinical Trials

Carotenoids have been the object of numerous observational, pre-clinical and interventional studies focused on elucidating their potential impacts on human health. However, the large heterogeneity among the trials, in terms of study duration and characteristics of participants, makes any conclusion difficult to draw.

Where Red Birds Get Their Vibrant Hues

Two studies identify the same gene that makes red birds crimson—and perhaps helps them shed toxins, too.

Resources

5 Reasons to Take Astaxanthin Every Day

Astaxanthin (pronounced “asta-ZAN-thin”) is a naturally-occurring carotenoid found in algae, shrimp, lobster, crab and salmon. Carotenoids are pigment colors that occur in nature and support good health. Beta carotene, for example, is orange. Astaxanthin, dubbed the “king of the carotenoids” is red, and is responsible for turning salmon, crab, lobster and shrimp flesh pink.