Beta Cryptoxanthin is a carotenoid. In the human body, beta-cryptoxanthin is converted to vitamin A (retinol) and is therefore considered as a pro-vitamin A. To improve vision within hours or days, see Eyesight.

Research, antioxidant
Ann Nutr Metabolism. 2004.
We examined the susceptibility of LDL to Cu2+ oxidation in young adults before and after a single dose of beta-cryptoxanthin. 1.3 mg of beta-cryptoxanthin was administered to 12 apparently healthy young volunteers. Six of the volunteers received esters, the other six free beta-cryptoxanthin. The plasma concentration of beta-cryptoxanthin and the susceptibility of LDL to copper-induced oxidation ex vivo in terms of the duration of lag time were measured before and 12 h after beta-cryptoxanthin ingestion. A single dose of beta-cryptoxanthin significantly increased the mean plasma beta-cryptoxanthin concentration and the mean cholesterol adjusted beta-cryptoxanthin concentration by 117 and 133%, respectively. No effect on the length of lag time was assessed. However, in LDL isolated from plasma 12 h after beta-cryptoxanthin administration the lengths of lag time correlated significantly with the plasma beta-cryptoxanthin concentration and with the cholesterol adjusted beta-cryptoxanthin levels. The lag time did not differ significantly between volunteers who received esters and those who received the same dosage as free beta-cryptoxanthin. At both measuring points, smokers, male volunteers and women using oral contraceptives tended to exhibit lower beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations and lower cholesterol adjusted beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations as well as increased LDL oxidizability compared to nonsmokers and women not using oral contraceptives. A single dose of beta-cryptoxanthin does not enhance the duration of LDL lag time ex vivo in healthy young subjects.

Liver benefit
Endocrinology. 2015. Prevention and reversal of lipotoxicity-induced hepatic insulin resistance and steatohepatitis in mice by an antioxidant carotenoid, β-cryptoxanthin. Excessive hepatic lipid accumulation promotes macrophages/Kupffer cells activation, resulting in exacerbation of insulin resistance and progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, few promising treatment modalities target lipotoxicity-mediated hepatic activation/polarization of macrophages for NASH. Recent epidemiological surveys showed that serum β-cryptoxanthin, an antioxidant carotenoid, was inversely associated with the risks of insulin resistance and liver dysfunction. In the present study, we first showed that β-cryptoxanthin administration ameliorated hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. Beta cryptoxanthin prevents and reverses insulin resistance and steatohepatitis, at least in part, through an M2-dominant shift in macrophages/Kupffer cells in a lipotoxic model of NASH.

Rheumatoid arthritis benefit
Dietary ß-cryptoxanthin and inflammatory polyarthritis: results from a population-based prospective study
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2005
The European Prospective Investigation of Cancer Incidence (EPIC)-Norfolk study is a population-based, prospective study of >25000 subjects who completed a baseline 7-d diet diary and were followed up to identify new cases of inflammatory polyarthritis, which was defined as synovitis that affected joint groups. Dietary carotenoid intakes were computed from the diet diaries of these subjects, and a nested, case-control analysis was undertaken to compare carotenoid intake between case subjects and age- and sex-matched control subjects. Results: Eighty-eight incident cases of inflammatory polyarthritis that occurred in the population surveyed were ascertained via the Norfolk Arthritis Register. The mean daily intakes of zeaxanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin were 20% and 40% lower, respectively, in the cases than in the 176 controls, but there were no significant differences in the intakes of either lutein or lycopene. Those subjects in the top one-third of intake of zeaxanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin were at a lower risk of developing inflammatory polyarthritis than were subjects in the lowest one-third. The association with ß-cryptoxanthin was significant after adjustments were made for total energy and protein intakes and for cigarette smoking. Conclusion: These data are consistent with previous evidence showing that a modest increase in ß-cryptoxanthin intake, equivalent to one glass of freshly squeezed orange juice per day, is associated with a reduced risk of developing inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.