The New Vitamin A?

Beta-carotene has been a well promoted phytonutrient for over a decade. The role of this in supporting health and disease prevention is real, but studies popped up that brought this into question when the impacts of supplementation where assessed. You may have heard about the smoker's study that showed an increase in lung cancer incidence in smokers who used supplementation of beta-carotene. Fortunately, it caught on that it wasn't the phytonutrient itself that was the issue, it was the lack of synergysm of other nutrients in whole foods which is necessary to sustain the integrity of beta-carotene. So now researchers have discovered yet another phytonutrient in the same family, alpha-carotene.

Alpha-carotene belongs to the group of antioxidants called carotenoids which are grouped as such because of their similar structure. In a new study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that this carotenoid helps prevent diseases such cancer and cardiovascular disease. The study provided evidence that those who had the highest blood levels of alpha-carotene had the lowest incidences of these 2 ailments. The key to the study was that they analyzed blood levels of the nutrients and not the effects of supplements. This was the case in the beta carotene research and the benefits fell short. The take home of the new study is yet again the value in eating whole foods for the synergistic effects. To gleen these benefits, enjoy the flavor and satiety that comes from eating foods rich in this nutrient such as carrots, pumpkin, red pepper and chiles and you will be certain to boost that value of the phytonutrients that mother nature provided.