Carotenoids : by Ray Sahelian, M.D., health benefits of carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin

Carotenoids by Ray Sahelian, M.D. natural health and nutritional supplement information

Eyesight Rx with Carotenoids - Vision Enhancement Product

Carotenoids are a large group -- up to 800 carotenoids -- of fat soluble pigments widely distributed in plants and animals. Dietary carotenoids are thought to provide health benefits by decreasing the risk of disease, particularly certain cancers, stroke, heart disease, and eye disease. Carotenoids are also thought to enhance the immune system. The carotenoids that have been most studied in this regard are beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and astaxanthin. In part, the beneficial effects of carotenoids are thought to be due to their role as antioxidants. Beta-Carotene may have added benefits due its ability to convert into vitamin A.

Higher plants, algae as well as many fungi and bacteria possess the ability to make carotenoids. However, humans are not able to make carotenoids and hence these compounds must be obtained through diet.

The different Carotenoids
Beta-carotene and alpha-carotene are responsible for the orange color of carrots, and lycopene for the red color of tomatoes. Astaxanthin imparts a red or pink color to lobsters and salmon. The term "carotene" refers to carotenoids which contain only carbon and hydrogen (e.g. beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene), while the term "xanthophylls" refers to compounds which contain hydroxyl groups (lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin) or keto groups (canthaxanthin).

Carotenoid complex 120 capsules - Now Foods

Many diverse carotenoids besides beta-carotene play vital roles in maintaining good health, especially in protecting against free radical damage. Yet, most Americans don't eat enough vegetables.

Click here to buy a Carotenoids supplement or to subscribe to a highly popular and FREE newsletter
Plus: Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month we email a brief abstract of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including carotenoids, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Carotenoid Complex Supplement Facts:
Serving Size: 2 Vegicaps
Servings per container: 60
Vitamin A (as Beta-Carotene)
Alpha carotene
Additional carotenoids (from D. salina algae: zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, Lutein, Floraglo marigold)
Lycopene (LYC-O-MATO tomato extract)
Broccoli concentrate (250 mcg sulforaphane) - 250 mg *
Spinach concentrate (75 mcg lutein)
Tomato concentrate (140 mcg lycopene)
Kale powder
Cabbage powder
Brussels sprouts powder

Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, take 1 or 2 carotenoid Vcaps daily, preferably with meals.
* Carotenoid Daily Value not established

Eyesight Rx with Carotenoid Complex
Supports Healthy Vision
Physician Formulas
Developed by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
Citrus bioflavonoids (eriocitrin, hesperidin, flavonols, flavones, flavonoids, naringenin, and quercetin)
Mixed Carotenoids Complex (alpha carotene, astaxanthin, beta carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene, zeazanthin)
Bilberry extract (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Eyebright extract (Euphrasia officianales)
Jujube extract (Zizyphus jujube)
Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba)
Suma extract (Pfaffia paniculata)
Mucuna pruriens extract (Cowhage)
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Lycium berry extract (Lycium Barbarum) - also known as Goji Berry
Sarsaparila (Sarsaparilla Smilax)
Alpha Lipoic Acid is a potent antioxidant

Click Eyesight Rx for more information

Food Sources of Carotenoids
Carotenoids are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, although the primary sources of lycopene are tomato and tomato products, along with watermelon. Lycopene is thought to be potentially helpful in reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Egg yolk is a source of lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin may be protective in eye disease because they absorb damaging blue light that enters the eye. Carrots are a great source for beta-carotene. Carotenoids from vegetable juices are able to enhance the immune system in those who normally have a low intake of carotenoids.

Carotenoids: From food or supplements?
Carotenoids are available in supplement form either individually or as mixed carotenoids.. Carotenoids ingested as supplements act as antioxidants. However, intervention trials with large doses of a single carotenoid, such as beta-carotene, found an adverse effect on the incidence of lung cancer in smokers and workers exposed to asbestos.
I believe that anyone supplementing with carotenoids should take a combination called mixed carotenoids rather than a high dose of just one. Although it is possible to obtain plenty of carotenoids through fruits and vegetables, carotenoid supplements are potentially helpful for those who do not eat adequate amounts of produce, or are trying to limit their intake of fructose from fruits.

Carotenoids and Macular Degeneration
In a study of healthy women younger than 75 years, consumption of diets rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxzanthin, which are found in green leafy vegetables, corn, and squash, seemed to stave off intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The researchers' findings appear in the August, 2006 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Carotenoids and DNA
Carotenoids are 40-carbon molecules with conjugated double bonds, making them particularly effective for quenching free radicals. They are believed to possess anticancer properties, which could be due to their antioxidant potential. Carotenoid supplementation decreases DNA damage and that a combination of carotenoids (lutein, beta carotene, and lycopene), an intake that can be achieved by diet exerts protection against DNA damage.

Carotenoids Research Update
Serum carotenoids and other antioxidative substances associated with urothelial cancer risk in a nested case-control study in Japanese men.
J Urology. 2005 May;173(5):1502-6.
We assayed whether high serum carotenoids and antioxidative substances decrease the risk of urothelial cancer in a case-control study nested in a community based cohort in Japan, that is the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that high serum carotenoids may decrease the risk of urothelial cancer with carotenes more effective than xanthophylls.

Dietary lycopene and other carotenoids may protect against prostate cancer, Australian and Chinese researchers report. The findings confirm those of other studies that have identified lycopene as a protective agent against some types of cancers. Lee, of Curtin University of Technology, Perth, and colleagues conducted a study in southeast China involving 130 patients with prostate cancer, and a comparison group of 274 cancer-free "controls." The participants were interviewed about food consumption and a variety of other matters. After factoring in age, total fat and caloric intake, as well as family history, diet appeared to have an influence on the odds of developing prostate cancer. The risk of prostate cancer declined with increasing consumption of lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and other carotenoids the investigators report in the International Journal of Cancer. Consumption of foods including tomatoes, spinach and citrus fruits was also associated with a reduced cancer risk. The researchers conclude that "carotenoids in vegetables and fruits may be inversely related to prostate carcinogenesis among Chinese men." SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, March 1, 2005.

Carotenoid action on the immune response.
J Nutr. 2004 Jan;134(1):257S-261S.
Early studies demonstrating the ability of dietary carotenoids to prevent infections have left open the possibility that the action of these carotenoids may be through their prior conversion to vitamin A. Subsequent studies to demonstrate the specific action of dietary carotenoids have used carotenoids without provitamin A activity such as lutein, canthaxanthin, lycopene and astaxanthin. In fact, these nonprovitamin A carotenoids were as active, and at times more active, than beta-carotene in enhancing cell-mediated and humoral immune response in animals and humans. Another approach to study the possible specific role of dietary carotenoids has used animals that are inefficient converters of carotenoids to vitamin A, for example the domestic cat. Results have similarly shown immune enhancement by nonprovitamin A carotenoids, based either on the relative activity or on the type of immune response affected compared to beta-carotene. Certain carotenoids, acting as antioxidants, can potentially reduce the toxic effects of reactive oxygen species, and therefore carotenoids, have been implicated in the etiology of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and aging. Recent studies on the role of carotenoids in gene regulation, apoptosis and angiogenesis have advanced our knowledge on the possible mechanism by which carotenoids regulate immune function and cancer.

Do dietary lycopene and other carotenoids protect against prostate cancer?
Int J Cancer. 2004 Oct 28
To determine whether dietary intake of lycopene and other carotenoids has an association with prostate cancer, a case-control study was conducted in Hangzhou, southeast China during 2001-2002. The cases were 130 incident patients with adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The controls were 274 hospital inpatients without prostate cancer or any other malignant diseases. The risks of prostate cancer for the intake of carotenoids and selected vegetables and fruits rich in carotenoids were assessed. The prostate cancer risk declined with increasing consumption of lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin. Intake of tomatoes, pumpkin, spinach, watermelon and citrus fruits were also inversely associated with the prostate cancer risk. The results suggest that vegetables and fruits rich in lycopene and other carotenoids may be protective against prostate cancer.

Effects of beta-carotene supplementation on free radical mechanism in healthy adult subjects.
Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2004 Mar;74(2):147-52.
The objective of this study was to examine whether increasing doses of beta-carotene supplements have effects on biological markers of lipid peroxidation in healthy volunteers. Forty-two healthy subjects were supplemented with 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg beta-carotene /day, respectively for five weeks. Beta-carotene supplementation of healthy subjects significantly increased plasma beta-carotene status without inducing adverse biological effects. Beta-carotene did not especially protect against oxidative stress, except for the 40 mg group. These data suggest that additional effects of beta-carotene supplementation on well-nourished, healthy subjects are limited.

Plasma carotenoids in relation to acute respiratory infections in elderly people.
Br J Nutr. 2004 Jul;92(1):113-8.
A high plasma carotenoid concentration could improve the immune response and result in decreased risk of infectious diseases. However, data on the relationship of plasma carotenoid concentration with acute respiratory infections, which occur frequently in elderly people, are scarce. We investigated, therefore, the relationship of plasma concentrations of six major carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin) with the incidence and severity of acute respiratory infections. Plasma carotenoid concentrations were divided into quartiles, the lowest being the reference. Frequency and severity of episodes during the previous 1 year, i.e. staying in bed, medical consultation and episode-related medication, were self-reported by means of a questionnaire. On average 1.6 episodes per person were recorded. The incidence rate ratio of acute respiratory infections at high beta-carotene status was 0.71 as compared with the low beta-carotene concentration group. No association was observed between beta-carotene and illness severity. alpha-Carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin were not related to incidence or severity of the infections. We conclude that elderly people with a high plasma beta-carotene concentration may have a lower occurrence of acute respiratory infections.

Supplementation of a low-carotenoid diet with tomato or carrot juice modulates immune functions in healthy men.
Ann Nutr Metab. 2003;47(6):255-61.
Beta-carotene has been shown to enhance immune functions in humans. Whether vegetables rich in carotenoids, such as beta-carotene or lycopene, modulate immune functions in healthy humans is presently not known. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a low-carotenoid diet supplemented with either tomato (providing high amounts of lycopene) or carrot juice (providing high amounts of alpha- and beta-carotene) on immune functions in healthy men. In a blinded, randomized, cross-over study, male subjects on a low-carotenoid diet consumed 330 ml/day of either tomato juice (37.0 mg/day lycopene) or carrot juice (27.1 mg/day beta-carotene and 13.1 mg/day alpha-carotene) for 2 weeks with a 2-week depletion period after juice intervention. Immune status was assessed by measuring lytic activity of natural killer (NK) cells, secretion of cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, TNFalpha), and proliferation by activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Juice consumption resulted in relatively fast responses in plasma carotenoid concentrations which were not accompanied by concomitant changes in immune functions. CONCLUSIONS: Increased plasma carotenoids concentrations after vegetable juice consumption are accompanied by a time-delayed modulation of immune functions in healthy men consuming a low-carotenoid diet.

Prospective study of plasma carotenoids and tocopherols in relation to risk of ischemic stroke.
Stroke. 2004 Jul;35(7):1584-8.
Intake of fruits and vegetables has been related to lower risk of ischemic stroke, but nutrients responsible for this apparent benefit remain ill-defined. Tocopherols (vitamin E) have also been proposed to be protective. We conducted a prospective, nested case-control analysis among male physicians without diagnosed cardiovascular disease followed-up for up to 13 years in the Physicians' Health Study. Samples from 297 physicians with ischemic stroke were analyzed with paired controls, matched for age and smoking, for 5 major carotenoids (alpha- and beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and lycopene), retinol, and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol. RESULTS: Baseline plasma levels of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene and lycopene tended to be inversely related to risk of ischemic stroke with an apparent threshold effect. As compared with men whose plasma levels were in the lowest quintile, the multivariate adjusted odds ratios of ischemic stroke among men with levels in the second through fifth quintiles were 0.59 for alpha-carotene, 0.62 for beta-carotene, and 0.61for lycopene. No association was found for lutein, retinol, and tocopherols. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that higher plasma levels of carotenoids, as markers of fruit and vegetable intake, are inversely related to risk of ischemic stroke and provide support for recommendations to consume fruits and vegetables regularly.

Dietary supplementation with a natural carotenoid mixture decreases oxidative stress.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;57(9):1135-40.
To determine whether dietary supplementation with a natural carotenoid mixture counteracts the enhancement of oxidative stress induced by consumption of fish oil. DESIGN: A randomised double-blind crossover dietary intervention. A total of 32 free-living healthy nonsmoking volunteers consumed a daily supplement comprising capsules containing fish oil (4 x 1 g) or fish oil (4 x 1 g) containing a natural carotenoid mixture (4 x 7.6 mg) for 3 weeks in a randomised crossover design separated by a 12 week washout phase. The carotenoid mixture provided a daily intake of beta-carotene (6.0 mg), alpha-carotene (1.4 mg), lycopene (4.5 mg), bixin (11.7 mg), lutein (4.4 mg) and paprika carotenoids (2.2 mg). RESULTS: The carotenoid mixture reduced the fall in ex vivo oxidative stability of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) induced by the fish oil and it reduced the extent of DNA damage assessed by the concentration of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in urine. There was no effect on the oxidative stability of plasma ex vivo assessed by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity test. beta-Carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene and lutein were increased in the plasma of subjects consuming the carotenoids mixture. Plasma triglyceride levels were reduced significantly more than the reduction for the fish oil control, but total cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels were not significantly changed by the consumption of the carotenoid mixture. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of the natural carotenoid mixture lowered the increase in oxidative stress induced by the fish oil as assessed by ex vivo oxidative stability of LDL and DNA degradation product in urine. The carotenoid mixture also enhanced the plasma triglyceride-lowering effect of the fish oil.

Carotenoids in cancer chemoprevention.
Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2002;21(3-4):257-64. Carotenoids
Various natural carotenoids, besides beta-carotene, were proven to have anticarcinogenic activity, and some of them showed more potent activity than beta-carotene. Thus, these carotenoids (alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, fucoxanthin, astaxanthin, capsanthin, crocetin and phytoene), as well as beta-carotene, may be useful for cancer prevention. In the case of phytoene, the concept of 'bio-chemoprevention', which means biotechnology-assisted method for cancerchemoprevention, may be applicable. In fact, establishment of mammalian cells producing phytoene was succeeded by the introduction of crtB gene, which encodes phytoene synthase, and these cells were proven to acquire the resistance against carcinogenesis. Antioxidative phytoene-containing animal foods may be classified as a novel type of functional food, which has the preventive activity against carcinogenesis, as well as the ability to reduce the accumulation of oxidative damages, which are hazardous for human health.

Supplementation with �-Carotene or a Similar Amount of Mixed Carotenoids Protects Humans from UV-Induced Erythema
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Carotenoids are useful oral sun protectants, and supplementation with high doses of beta-carotene protects against UV-induced erythema formation. We compared the erythema-protective effect of �-carotene (24 mg/d from an algal source) to that of 24 mg/d of a carotenoid mix consisting of the three main dietary carotenoids, �-carotene, lutein and lycopene (8 mg/d each). In a placebo-controlled, parallel study design, volunteers with skin type II (n = 12 in each group) received �-carotene, the carotenoid mix or placebo for 12 wk. Carotenoid levels in serum and skin (palm of the hand), as well as erythema intensity before and 24 h after irradiation with a solar light simulator were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 wk of treatment. Serum �-carotene concentration increased three- to fourfold (P < 0.001) in the beta-carotene group, whereas in the mixed carotenoid group, the serum concentration of each of the three carotenoids increased one- to threefold (P < 0.001). No changes occurred in the control group. The intake of either �-carotene or a mixture of carotenoids similarly increased total carotenoids in skin from wk 0 to wk 12. No changes in total carotenoids in skin occurred in the control group. The intensity of erythema 24 h after irradiation was diminished in both groups that received carotenoids and was significantly lower than baseline after 12 wk of supplementation. Long-term supplementation for 12 wk with 24 mg/d of a carotenoid mix supplying similar amounts of �-carotene, lutein and lycopene ameliorates UV-induced erythema in humans; the effect is comparable to daily treatment with 24 mg of �-carotene alone.

Chemistry, distribution, and metabolism of tomato carotenoids and their impact on human health.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2002 Nov;227(10):845-51.
Recent epidemiological studies have suggested that the consumption of tomatoes and tomato-based food products reduce the risk of prostate cancer in humans. This protective effect has been attributed to carotenoids, which are one of the major classes of phytochemicals in this fruit. The most abundant carotenoid in tomato is lycopene, followed by phytoene, phytofluene, zeta-carotene, gamma-carotene, beta-carotene, neurosporene, and lutein. Detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of human serum, milk, and organs, particularly prostate, have revealed the presence of all the aforementioned carotenoids in biologically significant concentrations. Two oxidative metabolites of lycopene, 2,6-cyclolycopene-1,5-diols A and B, which are only present in tomatoes in extremely low concentrations, have been isolated and identified in human serum, milk, organs (liver, lung, breast, liver, prostate, colon) and skin. Carotenoids may also play an important role in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and other blinding disorders. Among 25 dietary carotenoids and nine metabolites routinely found in human serum, mainly (3R,3'R,6'R)-lutein, (3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin, lycopene, and their metabolites were detected in ocular tissues. In this review we identified and quantified the complete spectrum of carotenoids from pooled human retinal pigment epithelium, ciliary body, iris, lens, and in the uveal tract and in other tissues of the human eye to gain a better insight into the metabolic pathways of ocular carotenoids. Although (3R,3'R,6'R)-lutein, (3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin, and their metabolites constitute the major carotenoids in human ocular tissues, lycopene and a wide range of dietary carotenoids have been detected in high concentrations in ciliary body and retinal pigment epithelium. The possible role of lycopene and other dietary carotenoids in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases is discussed.

Additional links
Saw palmetto herbal remedy for prostate health, Tongkat ali for stronger orgasm, ahcc for immune help, kava for relief of tenseness, serrapeptase product, nattokinase product.