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Micronutrients
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
An excessive intake of food rich in carotenoids such as carrots, tomatoes, can result in a distinct orange-yellow color of the skin, called hypercarotenemia (9, 58). This symptom can be reversed by discontinuing beta-carotene ingestion. Unlike preformed vitamin A, beta-carotene is not known to be teratogenic or lead to reproductive toxicity or birth defect. Carotenes are strong antioxidants. High doses of beta-carotene supplements (20–30 mg/day) or diets with high levels of carotenoid-rich food for long periods are not associated with toxicity (9, 56). However, supplementation with beta-carotene, with or without retinyl palmitate, for five to eight years has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease in current and former male and female smokers and in male current and former smokers occupationally exposed to asbestos (56). In addition, beta-carotene supplements (20 mg daily) were also associated with increased mortality, mainly due to lung cancer and ischemic heart disease (56). In contrast, natural foods (fruits and vegetables) rich in beta-carotene or carotenoids protect against lung cancer and prevent heart disease (56).
Apiaceae Plants Growing in the East
Published in Mahendra Rai, Shandesh Bhattarai, Chistiane M. Feitosa, Ethnopharmacology of Wild Plants, 2021
Sherweit El-Ahmady, Nehal Ibrahim, Nermeen Farag, Sara Gabr
Carotenoids are named after carrot because carrot accumulates an enormous number of carotenoids in its roots. The different colors of carrots reveal their various concentrations of phytochemicals. Carotenoids give yellow, orange, and red carrots their colors. There are two types of carotenoids present in carrot, namely, carotenes and xanthophylls (Ahmad et al. 2019). The major carotenoids in carrot roots are β-carotene (75%); α-carotene (23%) and lutein (1.9%), lycopene, and zeaxanthin (Søltoft et al. 2011). Orange carrots contain high quantities of beta-carotene. Yellow carrots contain low quantities of beta-carotene, but higher levels of lutein, which may protect from age-related macular degeneration and be beneficial for eyesight. Red carrots contain lycopene—a potent antioxidant with potential anti-cancer activity—in concentrations similar to that of tomatoes. Red carrots also contain moderate levels of alpha-and beta-carotene and lutein. The white variety has low levels of these phytochemicals, but contains high levels of potassium. The dietary intake of carotenoids has been related to the protection of DNA, proteins, and lipids from oxidative damage, as well as to the maintenance of the normal function of normal skin, normal mucosal membranes, and normal vision (Søltoft et al. 2011, Mustafa et al. 2012, Sommer and Vyas 2012, Elvira-Torales et al. 2019). Carotenoids have been also linked with the enhancement of the immune system and decreased risk of degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease (Faulks and Southon 2001).
Roots and Tubers
Published in Christopher Cumo, Ancestral Diets and Nutrition, 2020
Swollen roots and tubers—which store water and nutrients upon which plants draw during lean times—are evolutionary innovations to environments with uneven rainfall. This function leads scientists to classify both as underground storage organs (USOs). USOs may have minerals, vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates. Tubers tend to have more starch and therefore more calories than roots. For example, 100 grams of potato have seventy-seven calories, whereas the same amount of carrot has forty-one calories.1 Neither has inordinate energy because water is the main constituent, potatoes being 79.3 percent and carrots 88.3 percent. For few calories, potatoes supply ample vitamins B6 (pyridoxine) and C, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and phytochemicals that complement vitamin C’s role as antioxidant. Carrots have vitamin A precursor β-carotene, vitamins B6, B7 (biotin), and K, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. Although consumers seldom conceive tubers as protein sources, potatoes have all essential amino acids. Chapter 2 discussed these nutrients and others. Later sections quantify potato, sweet potato, cassava, and yams’ nutrients.
Role of plant-based diet in late-life cognitive decline: results from the Salus in Apulia Study
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2022
Roberta Zupo, Chiara Griseta, Petronilla Battista, Rossella Donghia, Vito Guerra, Fabio Castellana, Luisa Lampignano, Ilaria Bortone, Madia Lozupone, Gianluigi Giannelli, Giovanni De Pergola, Heiner Boeing, Rodolfo Sardone, Francesco Panza
Regarding the dietary profile, the present findings linked some MeDi foods, but also some others not directly discussed in this context, to a lower cognitive performance but not always in the assumed direction (red meat). The cognitively impaired study group was characterized by a lower vegetables intake, particularly of root vegetables and to a lesser extent fruiting vegetables (i.e. carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers), and of coffee. A common feature of these foods is the rich content of bioactive compounds with beneficial metabolic effects that extend beyond modulating oxidative stress to improving brain functions [34]. The present findings showed that not all plant-foods are equally positively associated with cognitive performance in older age, and that carrots, as dominant root vegetable, could be responsible for the inverse association observed. The β-carotene content of carrots is well known. This is a potent antioxidant and may therefore protect the central nervous system from damage due to age-related tissue oxidation. However, previous findings demonstrated that short-term β-carotene supplementation did not affect cognitive performance [35], although it is quite possible that longer term exposure to β-carotene in the diet may have beneficial effects on cognition. Moreover, since β-carotene (provitamin A) represents the main plant source of this vitamin, the finding regarding root vegetables contributes to the inverse association observed between dietary vitamin A and impaired cognition.
Differential effect of a carotenoid-rich diet on retina function in non-diabetic and diabetic rats
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2020
Kathleen J. McClinton, Michel Aliani, Sharee Kuny, Yves Sauvé, Miyoung Suh
Carrots, a well-known health food for the eyes, are one of the richest sources of β-carotene and α-carotene.1,2 Carotenoids are essential for retina function, as precursors of vitamin A, the very substrate of the only chromophore of photoreceptors (rods and cones), 11-cis retinal.3 The aldehyde form of vitamin A (11-cis retinal), converted solely from the diet, covalently binds to the photopigment opsin, and initiate phototransduction cascade when photoisomerized from cis to trans in response to photon catch.4 While 11-cis retinal is recycled by the retina, a continuous supply remains essential for the first steps of vision. Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness if sustained.5 Numerous studies have examined the role of supplementation of purified vitamin A, and β-carotene respectively on healthy vision and visual disorders; however, the impact of a whole food containing several carotenoids has been never tested.
Formulation and evaluation of carrot seed oil-based cosmetic emulsions
Published in Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2019
Shalini Singh, Alka Lohani, Arun Kumar Mishra, Anurag Verma
Carrot seed oil has been used since ancient time to nourish and rejuvenate the skin. The antioxidants in carrot seeds have been reported to repair the damage done to skin tissues by the free radicals and stop them from causing further harm. In the present study, carrot seed oil cosmetic emulsions have been evaluated for potential against UV-induced skin damage and skin toxicity using skin of Wister albino rat. Although the SPF of evaluated cosmetic formulations was found to be low, histopathological data and biochemical analysis (ASC and total protein content) suggest that these cosmetic emulsions have sufficient potential to be used as potential skin rejuvenating preparations.