The Foods Richest in Beta Carotene

2024-03-19 10:49:24

Did you know that when you go to the market you are surrounded by foods rich in beta-carotene? Well yes, this substance is the stellar component of a large number of food products of which, surely, are part of your purchase.

Broadly speaking, we can break down the natural sources of beta-carotene into 3 groups:

• Fruits with yellow or orange tonessuch as peach, orange, persimmon or apricot
• Green leafy vegetablessuch as chard, spinach, watercress, lettuce or broccoli
• Vegetablessuch as carrot, red pepper, pumpkin or tomato

In what foods can we find more Beta-carotene content?

Sin ánimo de ser “number closed”since the list of foods that contain ß-carotene would be too broad to include in this post, we have prepared a list of those that provide you with the most amount of this carotenoid.

FoodBeta-carotene content (ppm or micrograms/g)Carrot673Watercress560Beet468Pepper460Peanut360Kale345Parsley267Persimmon253Green bean245Fennel241Endivia240Cilantro228Radish214Cantaloupe melon200Lettuce190Bearberry (uva ursi)172Celery144

Likewise, the Chloroplasts in green vegetables facilitate photosynthesis, with carotenoids varying in fruits depending on the species. Although they contribute less vitamin A than retinol, its presence in plants and some animal foods is crucial for health. He ß-carotenein particular, has anti-aging and anti-cancer benefitsstanding out in the prevention of prostate cancer.

Can you take B-carotene?

The main health authorities recommend prioritize dietary beta-carotene over productsalthough the latter are useful when the balanced diet is not followed, especially in certain pathological conditions.

Five pieces of fruit and a serving of vegetables (mainly green) daily provide between 6 and 10 g of this carotenoid, having a positive impact on health.

Available beta-carotene food supplements are classified as water-based and oil-based, the latter being the most efficient in terms of oral absorption.

GroupRecommended doseAdults (general)25,000 IU daily (15 mg/day)Consumption without additional benefitUp to 100,000 IU (60 mg/day)Dermatological conditionsUp to 180 mg/dayChildren 4-8 years1,300 IU

It is crucial to keep in mind that the Absorption capacity of beta-carotene depends on several factors, including the individual metabolism and the presence of fat in the digestive system.

At HSN we offer a wide range of high-quality beta-carotene supplements for those looking to improve their health with reliable products.

Bibliographic Sources

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• Prasad M, Takkinen HM, Uusitalo L, Tapanainen H, Ovaskainen ML, Alfthan G, Erlund I, Ahonen S, Åkerlund M, Toppari J, Ilonen J, Knip M, Veijola R, Virtanen SM. Carotenoid Intake and Serum Concentration in Young Finnish Children and Their Relation with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. Nutrients. 2018 Oct 17;10(10). pii: E1533. doi: 10.3390/nu10101533.
• Hummel M, Talsma EF, Van der Honing A, Gama AC, Van Vugt D, Brouwer ID, Spillane C. Sensory and cultural acceptability tradeoffs with nutritional content of biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato varieties among households with children in Malawi. PLoS One. 2018 Oct 18;13(10):e0204754. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204754. eCollection 2018.
• Wu J, Ji X, Tian S, Wang S, Liu H. Ectopic expression of a Citrus kinokuni β-carotene hydroxylase gene (chyb) promotes UV and oxidative stress resistance by metabolic engineering of zeaxanthin in tobacco. 3 Biotech. 2018 Nov;8(11):450. doi: 10.1007/s13205-018-1440-7. Epub 2018 Oct 15.

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