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Today's Daily Health Tip
Alpha and Beta-Carotene 101
by Jennifer Good     Each we week we dig a little deeper to find the inside story of the benefits of some common and some not so common healthy ingredients. This week we delve a little deeper and explore the benefit of cartenoids found in many of the common fruits and vegetables we eat daily. Carotenoids are phytonutrients that protect plants from damage caused by UV radiation and other environmental factors. In humans, they have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of various types of cancer cells such as those affecting the lungs, stomach, cervix, breast, bladder, and mouth. They also have been proven to protect against atherosclerosis, cataracts, macular degeneration, and other major degenerative disorders. The key carotenoids are: beta carotene, alpha carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthin.
Probably the best known of the carotenoids, beta carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A as needed to strengthen the immune system and promote healthy cell growth. In addition, beta carotene is a potent antioxidant, offering particular benefits to the immune system and the lungs. Note: synthetic beta carotene, made from acetylene gas is to be avoided. As a side note, a synthetic beta-carotene known as Lurotin was used in the studies that produced negative results when beta-carotene was tested.
What the heck is Lurotin? It is a synthetic form of beta carotene made by extracting benzene rings from acetylene gas, and then attaching the benzene rings together to form 100% all-trans-beta-carotene. There is no natural food source in the world that contains 100% all-trans-beta-carotene. As it turns out, natural beta-carotene is made of two molecules -- all trans beta-carotene and 9-cis beta-carotene. In sources such as Dunaliella salina, a great seaweed source of beta-carotene often used in supplements, the trans and cis forms of beta-carotene are split approximately 50/50.
At one time, studies suggested that synthetic beta-carotene actually was absorbed better and worked better than natural forms of beta-carotene.1 But other studies in both animals and humans have demonstrated far more conclusively that natural beta carotene provides benefits that the synthetic form cannot match.2 And more to the point, studies have shown that pre-cancerous changes in people reverted to normal tissue with natural beta-carotene supplements, but not with synthetic supplements. Incidentally, Lurotin is the same synthetic form of beta-carotene that was used several years ago in a test of smokers that "proved" that "beta carotene" increases your risk of lung cancer.3,4
Unfortunately, synthesized acetylene gas is not beta-carotene, and it certainly isn't a complete beta-carotene containing both the trans and cis forms. But beyond that, it is not a complete carotenoid complex. Like vitamin E, beta carotene does not exist in nature as an isolate. In nature, beta carotene always comes as part of a carotenoid complex, not in isolation. There are more than 400 carotenoids in a single carrot, for example.
As a side note, Lurotin is manufactured by BASF, the massive German chemical company. Is this a problem? Only if you consider the fact that BASF is one of the primary sponsors of Codex Alimentarius, a set of international trade laws designed to take away your right to purchase the herbs and supplements of your choice -- no matter what country you live in.
But also, it is important to understand that natural beta carotene never comes as an isolate. It is always paired with alpha-carotene, along with a number of other carotenoids. And according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a higher blood level of alpha-carotene is associated with longer life and less death from chronic diseases and cancer, regardless of lifestyle habits, demographics and health risks.5 In a 14 year follow up of more than 15,000 Americans aged 20 and above, the researchers found that higher blood level of alpha-carotene decreased mortality rate from 23-39%.
All natural sources of beta-carotene contain a mix of carotenoids, and alpha and beta-carotene are always found together -- in natural sources. Bottom line. You want to either eat foods naturally rich in carotenoids, or us a supplement derived from a naturally sourced carotenoid complex, not pure synthetic beta-carotene.
For more information on alpha and beta-carotene, click here.
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References:
(1) John W. Erdman Jr., Angela J. Thatcher, Nicolle E. Hofmann, et al. "All-trans ß-Carotene Is Absorbed Preferentially to 9-cis ß-carotene, but the Latter Accumulates in the Tissues of Domestic Ferrets (Mustela putorius puro). J. Nutr. November 1, 1998 vol. 128 no. 11 2009-2013. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/11/2009.full.pdf+html
(2) A Ben-Amotz and Y Levy. "Bioavailability of a natural isomer mixture compared with synthetic all- trans beta-carotene in human serum." Am J Clin Nutr May 1996 vol. 63 no. 5 729-734. http://www.ajcn.org/content/63/5/729.full.pdf+html
(3) "Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Trial." National Cancer Institute. 22 July 2003. (Accessed 5 April 2012.) http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/qa/2003/atbcfollowupqa
(4) Lyn Patrick. ""Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Trial."Beta-Carotene: The Controversy Continues." AMR 2000 v5 n6. http://altmedrev.com/sobi2.html?sobi2Task=dd_download&fid=280
(5) Chaoyang Li, Earl S. Ford, Guixiang Zhao, et al. "Serum a-Carotene Concentrations and Risk of Death Among US Adults." Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(6):507-515. site
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