Food Sources and Effects of Carotenoids

Carotenoid structure and category

The major carotenoids contain α-carotene, β-carotene, γ-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, etc. Among the three isomers of carotenoids, β-carotene has the highest content and γ-carotene the least. α, β, γ-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin can be decomposed to form vitamin A, while lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene do not have the activity of vitamin A, so they cannot be decomposed to vitamin A.

Food sources of carotenoids

Carotenoids are only synthesized in plants and microorganisms. Animals cannot biosynthesize carotenoids on their own, so the human body mainly obtains them from plant-based foods, mainly fresh fruits and vegetables. α-carotene and β-carotene are mainly from yellow-orange vegetables and fruits. β-cryptoxanthin is mainly from orange fruits. Lutein is mainly from dark green vegetables. Lycopene comes mainly from tomatoes. The daily intake of carotenoids in the human body is about 6 mg.

Effects of carotenoids

Carotenoids have a variety of biological effects. Regular consumption of foods rich in carotenoids is beneficial to health.

1. Anti-tumor effect: Dark green fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids can reduce the incidence of cancer. Lycopene, which plays a major role, has obvious anti-cancer effects and can effectively prevent the occurrence of a variety of cancers.

1. Enhance immune function: Carotenoids can enhance the immune function of the body. Lycopene and β-carotene can reduce the oxidative damage of immune cells, and can also promote the production of certain interleukins to exert immune regulation functions.

1. Antioxidant effect: Carotenoids have significant antioxidant activity and can prevent aging, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, tumors and cataracts. Lycopene, β-carotene and lutein can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and can prevent atherosclerosis.

1. Protecting vision function: Lutein is the main functional factor for the protection of vision. Increasing the intake of lutein has a significant role in preventing and improving age-related ocular degenerative diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration and cataract. As the absorption peak of lutein corresponds to the blue light absorption spectrum, it can absorb a large amount of blue light near-ultraviolet light, thus protecting the retina from light damage.

1. Maintain the health of epithelial tissue cells: β-carotene, as a precursor of vitamin A, can be converted into vitamin A in the human body. vitamin A is very important for the normal formation, development and maintenance of epithelium. When vitamin A is insufficient or deficient, epithelial tissue proliferates and thickens, cell division is accelerated, and changes such as cell flattening, irregularity, and dryness occur in the surface layer. This manifests as keratinization of the lining of the nose, throat, larynx, and other respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts, weakening the natural barrier against bacterial attack and thus making it susceptible to infection.

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