A Boost To Your Health From A Carotenoid Complex

By Greg James


Every day, elements known as oxidants are assaulting the cells of our bodies. Antioxidants provide the greatest protection against this danger. They can be derived from fruit and vegetables which contain a pigment called carotene, which in turn is rich in antioxidants. Red or orange colored fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, apricots and carrots, contain this pigment. The antioxidants are released when our teeth chew these fruits and vegetables. We can also absorb these antioxidants if we take a carotenoid complex.

The antioxidants are absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach walls after we swallow our food. They then travel to our red blood cells and take their place in the cell walls. This is where they do their work of protecting cells from free radicals. People who include carotene rich fruit and vegetables in their diet have been shown to have a greater resistance to disease and a lower cancer risk.

The natural way of absorbing these substances into our bodies is by eating a lot of fruit and vegetables. Including these in our diet helps us to combat the chronic illnesses which inflict themselves on many people. For optimum absorption of carotene, between five and nine daily servings of fruit and vegetables is recommended by healthcare professionals. Some doctors and nutritionists actually recommend up to 11 servings. Many peoples' intake of fruit and vegetables falls far short of these ideals.

Of course, there are people who maintain a healthy diet. They make sure they eat a variety of vegetables and fruits. Supplements containing carotene often have the equivalent level of antioxidants to more than 100 kg of vegetables and fruit consumed weekly.

Some researchers have called attention to the fact that there are foods and dietary supplements which are rich in carotene but do not contain enough dietary lipids to enable our bodies to absorb the antioxidants. This does throw some doubt on the effectiveness of taking supplements. The addition of the oil of avocado to a supplement has been proven to remedy this situation.

There been many tests done on supplements containing carotene. They found that the oxidation of lipids in cells and blood was greatly reduced. They also found that the natural killer cells which help to fight cancers and infections, were enhanced significantly. Such supplements were found to help greatly in protecting a person from attacks by free radicals.

Volunteers in clinical trials of supplements containing carotene were found to have boosted immune systems. They had a lesser risk of cholesterol becoming oxidized, and suffering cell damage from free radicals. This would indicate there are great benefits to these supplements.

A potent blend of antioxidants carried by carotene is offered by many carotenoid complex supplements. These supplements are made from vegetables containing large quantities of carotene. People wishing to try these supplements should be warned that some manufacturers do include carotene made from house plants which are not normally eaten. Reading the label on the container should give consumers all the information they need about the ingredients of the supplement.




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