VITAL SIGNS
Good Things Come in Orange
By RONI CARYN RABIN
Published: November 26, 2010
People with high blood levels of alpha-carotene — an antioxidant found in orange fruits and vegetables like carrots, winter squash, oranges and tangerines — live longer and are less likely to die of heart disease and cancer than people who have little or none of it in their bloodstream, a new study reports.“It’s pretty dramatic,” said the lead author, Dr. Chaoyang Li, a C.D.C. epidemiologist, whose study was published online on Nov. 22 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. While alpha-carotene may be no more than an indicator of other aspects of a healthy lifestyle, studies have found that it inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the laboratory, he said.
Best sources of carotene:he orange-colored fruits and vegetables including carrots,apricots, mangoes, squash, and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin.
Green vegetables, especially spinach, kale, and collard greens, also contain beta-carotene, and are the best sources of lutein.
Lycopene is found in tomatoes, guava, and pink grapefruit.Salmon, shellfish, milk, and egg yolks also provide carotenoids.
The contribution of spices to available carotenoids in the U.S. diet has increased steadily, making spices a great choice for upping your carotenoid intake. Cayenne pepper and chili pepperare worthy of special mention here.
In addition: Carotenoids may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Angina pectoris
- Asthma
- Cataracts
- Cervical cancer
- Cervical dysplasia
- Chlamydial infection
- Heart disease
- Laryngeal cancer (cancer of the larynx)
- Lung cancer
- Male and female infertility
- Osteoarthritis
- Photosensitivity
- Pneumonia
- Prostate cancer
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Skin cancer
- Vaginal candidiasis
Green vegetables, especially spinach, kale, and collard greens, also contain beta-carotene, and are the best sources of lutein.
Lycopene is found in tomatoes, guava, and pink grapefruit.Salmon, shellfish, milk, and egg yolks also provide carotenoids.
The contribution of spices to available carotenoids in the U.S. diet has increased steadily, making spices a great choice for upping your carotenoid intake. Cayenne pepper and chili pepperare worthy of special mention here.
In addition: Carotenoids may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Angina pectoris
- Asthma
- Cataracts
- Cervical cancer
- Cervical dysplasia
- Chlamydial infection
- Heart disease
- Laryngeal cancer (cancer of the larynx)
- Lung cancer
- Male and female infertility
- Osteoarthritis
- Photosensitivity
- Pneumonia
- Prostate cancer
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Skin cancer
- Vaginal candidiasis
No comments:
Post a Comment