There are many types of antioxidants. Vitamin E and resveratrol are two such examples. However, the antioxidants found in the particular fruits and vegetables mentioned above are all touted in orange shades and are powerful phytochemicals that fall into the carotenoid family.
What exactly are carotenoids?
“Carotenoids are a group of fat-soluble pigments found in yellow, orange and red plants such as carrots, squash and leafy vegetables,” said Seattle-based registered nutritionist Ginger Hartin, MS, RDN, CSO. The owner of the champagne says.Nutrition and author Anti-inflammatory diet meal prep When How to eat to beat a sick cookbook.. “One such form of carotenoid we often hear is beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body.” According to Hultin, in addition to beta-carotene, α-carotene, β-carotene, There are other forms of carotenoids, such as β-cryptoxanthin, all of which have the same properties. “There are three, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene,” she says.
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Health benefits of carotenoids
1. Carotenoids help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, especially heart disease and age-related eye diseases.
Carotenoids protect heart health against age-related diseases and promote longevity. “Studies show that carotenoids are associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease and a positive effect on bone metabolism,” Lauren Harris Pincus, MS, RDN and authors. All Easy Prediabetes Cookbook.. “This includes reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, prostate cancer in men, and age-related eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.”
2. They are great for improving your overall eye health.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the major carotenoids involved in eye health, found in the retina of the eye, absorb blue light to support visual function and protect against optical disorders and free radical damage.
3. Carotenoids help muscle recovery.
According to Harris-Pincus, carotenoids also help muscle recovery after training, have anti-inflammatory properties, and speed up the process of muscle repair and remodeling, and replenishment of depleted energy storage. Therefore, it is advisable to include carotenoid-rich foods in your post-exercise snacks. Also, because it is fat-soluble, it should be taken with healthy fats for maximum absorption of nutrients.
4. They boost your immune system.
Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body and plays an important role in supporting immune health.
5. Carotenoids may improve bone strength and density
Epidemiological studies suggest that high intakes of carotenoids, especially beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, can help maintain bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and hip fractures. Carotenoids may play a role in preventing osteoporosis and reducing bone loss. Translational Medicine Journal.. “Lutein has also been shown to increase bone mass by suppressing bone resorption and stimulating bone formation,” says Harris Pincus.
“Several large studies, including the Flamingam Osteoporosis Study, have found that people who take higher levels of both total and individual carotenoids may have a lower risk of hip fracture.” Hultin adds.However, keep in mind that this suggests that you have to eat very A rich supply of beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin to enjoy the benefits of bone density helps protect against falls, accidents, and fractures. This study is also largely based on animal studies. Human research is limited. More research is clearly needed, but there are promising data to support it.
Foods rich in carotenoids
Red, yellow, orange, and dark green are the colors that best indicate high carotenoid content. “Starch vegetables such as pumpkins, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots and other root vegetables tend to come to mind when considering foods rich in carotenoids. These are some of the most powerful sources of beta carotene. That’s what Kelly Jones says. , MS, RD, CSSD, LDN. “But there are other foods filled with carotenoids that are worth considering adding to your dietary rotation.” For example, tomatoes, watermelons, spinach, kale, melons, and apricots are all carotenoid-rich foods. Is a healthy example of.
Please note that carotenoids are not listed on food labels. Therefore, the product may contain vitamin A and may contain carotenoids, but the food is not only carotenoid-based, but the amount of carotenoids to be cut is unknown. From eating the product. To keep things simple, according to Hultin, there are some examples of carotenoid-rich foods with their respective antioxidant levels, classified by the type of carotenoid present. You can get an estimate of the carotenoid content per serving, as well as the colors that generally have the highest quality and quantity of carotenoids.
- Pumpkin puree: 1 cup contains 11.7 mg of α-carotene. 17 mg beta-carotene; 3.6 mg β-cryptoxanthin
- Cooked carrots: 1 cup contains 5.9 mg α-carotene
- Roasted sweet potato: One medium-sized sweet potato contains 13.1 mg of beta-carotene
- papaya: One medium-sized papaya contains 2.3 mg of β-cryptoxanthin
- Canned tomato paste: 1 cup contains 75.4 mg lycopene
- Canned tomato puree: 1 cup contains 54.4 mg lycopene
- Spinach (cooked): 1 cup contains 13.8 mg beta-carotene. 29.8 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin
- Kale (cooked): 1 cup contains 25.6 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin
Jones recommends incorporating carotenoid-rich foods into dips, salads, or adding them to egg-like breakfast bowls. “You can also pick up a jar of roasted red pepper and add it to homemade wraps, grains and frittatas. You can also enjoy canned tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are more biological than fresh tomatoes. It contains a lot of lycopene that is available to the market, “says Jones. “From smoothies to stews to pasta dishes, add frozen spinach and kale and enjoy dry apricots as a treat when fresh apricots aren’t in season.” No matter which dish you choose, to increase absorption. Remember to eat foods rich in kale tenoids, including fat, when possible.
You can also make this delicious sweet potato tart to modify carotenoids.
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