Carotenoids are red, orange and yellow dyes of plant or animal origin. It is the carotenoids that are responsible for the color of carrots, pumpkins and tomatoes. The properties of carotenoids should be appreciated especially by women, because carotenoids rejuvenate. For this reason, they are used in cosmetics, but not only. Check what other effects of carotenoids and where they occur.
Carotenoidsare substances that give a yellow to red (and even violet) color to both plants and animals. There are about 600 plant pigments, but only six of them have a significant effect on our body - alpha and beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin. Carotenoids are absorbed by the intestines into the blood, which uses lipoproteins to transport them to various tissues in the body.
Carotenoids - a way to get a natural tan without sun and tanning beds
Some carotenoids, specifically beta-carotene, are stored in the skin, so you can enjoy sun-kissed skin. But that's not all. It neutralizes free radicals, causes skin discoloration, which protects it against the harmful effects of sunlight. In addition, carotenoids condition the growth of the epithelium, prevent exfoliation of the epidermis, accelerate the healing of any skin damage, and also prevent the development of neoplastic changes and protect against the harmful effects of external conditions, such as UV radiation. For this reason, carotenoids are used in cosmetics as filters to protect against UV radiation, creams that improve skin tone or bronzing creams.
Carotenoids reduce the risk of cancer development
Carotenoids remove free radicals from the body, which are responsible, among others, for the development of neoplastic diseases and thus reduces the risk of developing cancer. It has been proven that the consumption of carotenoids can reduce the incidence of cancers such as cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus and bladder. A high consumption of lycopene may reduce the risk of developing diseases such as for prostate cancer. Lycopene also reduces the likelihood of developing cervical cancer.
Carotenoids for he althy eyes
Carotenoids, especially beta-carotene and lutein, are essential for the proper functioning of eyesight. - Diet is very important becausevegetables and fruits are rich in various types of vitamins, incl. vitamin C, E and vitamin A, so important for the visual system, which nourishes our retina. Thanks to this, our photoreceptors that are in the eye work properly and we can enjoy good vision for a long time. A good ingredient that we should also take is lutein - says the news agency Newseria Lifestyle Magdalena Bińczak, optometrist at the New Vision Ophthalmology Center. Lutein and zeaxanthin bind free radicals (like other antioxidants, e.g. vitamins A, C, E) and absorb electromagnetic radiation. They filter high-energy blue light, reducing its intensity by 40-90%, thanks to which they protect the retinal photoreceptors and reduce the risk of macular degeneration.
Magdalena Bińczak, optometrist - a diet rich in carotenoids support the condition of the eyes
Source: lifestyle.newseria.pl
Worth knowingCarotenoids - sources in food. Where are carotenoids found?
- beta-carotene - carrots, spinach, pumpkin,
- lycopene - red fruits, e.g. in watermelon, red grapefruits, also in tomatoes
- lutein and zeaxanthin - can be found in dark green vegetables and red peppers, as well as in corn, rosehip and sea buckthorn
- cryptoxanthin - it is present in the greatest amounts in mangoes, oranges and peaches
Small doses of carotenoids are found in dairy products, especially in the milk of cows fed with fresh grass, carotene is also found in egg yolk. Carotenoids do not lose their properties during cooking, on the contrary, raw tomatoes have much less of these substances than cooked ones.
Carotenoids can prevent heart disease
Carotenoids lower the level of bad cholesterol. Thus, it prevents the accumulation of cholesterol in the walls of the arteries, and thus - prevents atherosclerosis, and further heart disease, such as a heart attack or stroke. This has been scientifically proven. According to W alter Willett - a professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard University - one carrot a day (which is a storehouse of beta-carotene) lowers the level of bad cholesterol to such an extent that it reduces the risk of a heart attack by 30%. and a stroke by 70%.
A diet rich in carotenoids lowers the risk of osteoporotic fractures
A diet rich in carotenoids, which the body produces vitamin A, lowers the risk of hip fractures in thin elderly men, according to a study by Singapore scientists .² During 17 years of follow-up, more than 1 , 6 thousand fracturesfemoral neck. They found that a low body mass index (less than 20 kg / m2) was a stronger risk factor for hip fracture in older men than in women. Also in men, the risk of hip fracture decreased with increasing consumption of vegetables, and with them carotenoids, especially beta-carotenoids present, for example, in carrots. The protective effect of these compounds was greater in lean men than in men with a higher BMI. However, in women, the amount of vegetables and carotenoids consumed was not related to the risk of hip fracture, regardless of body weight.
Carotenoids support cognitive functions
Carotenoids contribute to the maintenance of efficient cognitive functions in the elderly, argue scientists from the University of Georgia (USA) in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. " neural networks in 43 people aged 65-86 years while memorizing the word list. By measuring the concentration of pigments in the macula, they also assessed the levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in their bodies. They found that participants with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin had less excitation in the regions of the brain responsible for memory functions. This meant that they had to put less effort into completing the task.
Worth knowingEgg supports the absorption of carotenoids
After adding boiled egg to the salad, our body is able to absorb more carotenoids contained in raw vegetables, say scientists from Purdue University (USA) .³ Additionally, you will get a portion of lutein and zeaxanthin in the yolk. American scientists prepared a salad consisting of tomatoes, carrots, baby spinach, romaine lettuce and goji berries, and gave it to 16 he althy young men. They also added 1.5 or 3 pieces of minced boiled eggs to part of the serving. It turned out that in the subjects who ate the salad containing the most eggs, the ability to absorb carotenoids from food increased several times (from 3 to 9 times), including beta-carotenoids, alpha-carotenoids, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin.
Source:
1. Gryszczyńska A., Gryszczyńska B., Opala B., Carotenoids. Natural sources, biosynthesis, impact on the human body, "Postępy Phytoterapii" 2011, No. 2
2. A diet rich in carotenoids lowers the risk of fractures in slim men, http://naukawpolsce.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news,393354,dieta-bogata-w-karotenoidy-obniza-ryzyko-zlaman-u-szczuplych-panow.html
3. Egg supports the absorption of carotenoids,http://scienceinpoland.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news,404463,jajko-wspomaga-wchlanianie-karotenoidow.html
4. Igielska-Kalwat J., Warzyńczak A., Nowak I, Carotenoids and their application in the cosmetics industry on the example of β-carotene, CHEMIK 2012