HWN Suggests

Despite new study, eat your carrots

The release of a big study that cast doubt on the seemingly awesome powers of beta carotene has led to some understandable confusion. The research found that not only did large doses fail to protect smokers from lung cancer, they seemed to increase the risk. Not even the people who conducted the 10-year, $43-million study are sure what to make of the results. But one thing seems clear: Foods rich in beta carotene are surely good for you.

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 An expert panel has recommended against taking vitamin E or beta carotene supplements for the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease – here’s why

The panel of experts concluded that with regard to the prevention of cardiovascular disease or cancer, the harms of beta carotene supplementation outweigh the benefits and that there is no net benefit of supplementation with vitamin E for those purposes. Their recommendation applies to adults who are not pregnant and excludes those who are chronically ill, are hospitalized or have a known nutritional deficiency.

 Chasing Hot Molecules

Beta carotene is a prominent example of a supplement that failed to live up to hopes. Demetrius Albanes of the National Cancer Institute was a principal investigator of one such large trial of beta carotene. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Study, tested the effect of five to eight years of daily alpha tocopherol (vitamin E) and beta carotene supplements with a group of nearly 30,000 male smokers in Finland. To the team’s surprise, instead of a lower disease risk, the men taking beta carotene had an 18% increased risk of developing lung cancer, Albanes says. Another large controlled clinical trial, the Physicians’ Health Study run by Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, showed no benefit and no harm from beta carotene. Further research to better understand the interplay between antioxidants and cancer suggests that reining in oxidative stress protects normal cells—and cancer cells.

Articles of Interest

Food I've heard that baby carrots don't contain as much beta-carotene as the bigger ones. Is this true?

Yup. These munchkins supply about 23 percent less beta-carotene per ounce than ordinary carrots, says Leonard Pike, Ph.D., professor emeritus of horticulture from Texas A&M University in College Station. The babies you buy are actually pieces of specially bred, long, thin carrots. Beta-carotene is stored in a carrot's outer layer, so some gets shaved off as the vegetables are trimmed down. But baby carrots are still a convenient source of the vitamin, so eat up!

A WWII Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Myth That Carrots Help You See in the Dark

How a ruse to keep German pilots confused gave the Vitamin-A-rich vegetable too much credit

Beta No More

Clearly, taking a simple chemical supplement is not the same as eating a vegetable. Scientist suspect there are other natural ingredients that work with the vitamins to promote health. But whether this news will put an end to the beta-carotene craze remains to be seen. The studies showed no harm in taking lower doses (3 mg) of the supplement, and the vitamin industry was quick to exploit that opening, suggesting that taking beta carotene might still be beneficial for nonsmokers.

Beta-Carotene, A Possible Double-Agent in the Fights against Heart Disease and Cancer

People at high risk for cancer and heart disease, such as smokers, people who live with smokers, asbestos workers, those with fatty diets, and alcoholics, should definitely think twice about taking beta-carotene supplements since the effects could be quite hazardous.

Beta-Carotene: A Powerful Antioxidant That Does Much More Than Just Boost Your Summer Tan!

Let's go back almost two hundred years, to 1831, when a remarkable experiment took place in the laboratory of the eminent German scientist H. Wachenroder—he managed to isolate this important substance from carrots. Hence the name beta-carotene, derived from the Latin word 'carota' (carrot).

Beta-Carotene: The Impact on Nutrition and Health

Beta carotene, the red-orange pigment in various fruits and vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes, has garnered considerable attention for its beneficial effects on overall health and wellness.

Consuming excessive amounts of beta-carotene may block vitamin A actions

The scientists emphasized that they do not recommend against adequate beta-carotene intake, as the carotenoids’ antioxidant properties could be associated with protecting cells and regulating cell growth and death, all of which play a role in multiple disease processes. In moderate doses, beta-carotene could be an important and safe source of vitamin A.

Do antioxidants promote health — or fuel cancer?

Antioxidants have become a multibillion-dollar business, sold as dietary supplements or added to foods such as juices and cereal. Their popularity is based on the claim that they protect cells from aging and help ward off cancer by mopping up “free radicals” — molecules that zip around harming whatever they encounter, including DNA and cell denizens called mitochondria.

Mom Was Right. Eat Your Carrots!

Of course mom was right; she always is. But for those who like evidence before they believe, consider this: At the Philadelphia conference, Francine Grodstein at Harvard Medical School presented data demonstrating that taking β-carotene starting in late mid-life protects later on against the kind of cognitive decline that heralds the beginning of dementia. This is the result of a cognitive function sub-study of the Physician’s Health Study, a large randomized prevention trial. The rub lies in the length of exposure.

Potential 'dark side' to diets high in beta-carotene

The findings also might explain why, in a decades-old clinical trial, more people who were heavily supplemented with beta-carotene ended up with lung cancer than did research participants who took no beta-carotene at all. The trial was ended early because of that unexpected outcome. The scientists aren't recommending against eating foods high in beta-carotene, and they are continuing their studies to determine what environmental and biological conditions are most likely to lead to these molecules' production.

Should You Take Beta-Carotene Supplements?

There are lots of things you can do to lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease or cancer, but taking a beta-carotene supplement isn’t one of them.

Studies Find Beta Carotene, Used by Millions, Doesn't Forestall Cancer or Heart Disease

The idea that a simple supplement capsule might fend off cancer and other diseases, they said, has simply proved too good to be true. Dr. Richard Klausner, director of the National Cancer Institute, which financed both studies, said, "With clearly no benefit and even a hint of possible harm, I can see no reason that an individual should take beta carotene."