A potent antioxidant that supports our natural defense system! *

Beta Carotene is the compound, which colors vegetables yellow or orange. Beta Carotene, one of over 400 identified carotenes, protects plants from oxidative damage during photosynthesis. Beta Carotene consists of two molecules linked to each other and is converted into vitamin A as needed by the body. Beta Carotene acts as an antioxidant, trapping and neutralizing singlet oxygen molecules and other free radicals, which can damage the body's cellular membranes, lipids, proteins, and vitamins. Cancer, Atherosclerosis, Diabetes, Cataracts, and many other chronic degenerative diseases have been linked to free-radical damage. Numerous studies have shown that people who consume high quantities of Beta Carotene have a lowered incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases.*


Beta carotene supplements may offer these specific benefits:

• relief from carpal tunnel and repetitive-stress injuries*
• relieve symptoms of osteo and rheumatoid arthritis*
• protect against UV radiation from the sun*
• prevent diabetes, relieve symptoms of diabetes*
• prevent cataracts and macular degeneration*
• enhance the function of the immune system*
• increase strength and endurance*
• improve prostate function*
• improve recovery time from exercise*
• reduce pain and inflammation*
• promote healthy eyesight*
• promote cardiovascular health*
• relieve respiratory system problems*

Health Conditions That Beta Carotene Supplements Are Recommended For

• AIDS*
• Asthma*
• Bronchitis and emphysema*
• Cataracts*
• Cervical & prostate cancer*
• Lung cancer*
• Chlamydial infection*
• Diabetes*
• Eczema and psoriasis*
• Heart disease*
• Male and female infertility*
• Osteoarthritis*
• Photosensitivity*
• Pneumonia*
• Rheumatoid arthritis*
• Skin cancer*
• Vaginal candidiasis*
• Macular degeneration*

Here is an article on Beta Carotene and it's importance:

High dietary consumption of beta-carotene may help prevent prostate cancer, according to research presented here last month at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

For men with the lowest dietary intake of beta-carotene, supplements show some promise in preventing prostate cancer--although it is too soon to recommend widespread supplementation, said lead investigator Meir Stampfer, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston. Dr. Stampfer reported the latest results from the ongoing Physicians' Health Study of more than 22,000 U.S. doctors that began in 1982.

Many studies have linked foods rich in beta-carotene with a lower risk of lung and various other cancers. Supplements of the antioxidant, however, have not lived up to early expectations. In fact, last year's results from the Physicians' Health Study showed no reduced risk of any type of cancer among men taking 50 mg of beta-carotene every other day, when compared with men taking a placebo.

In the latest analysis of that population, Dr. Stampfer and colleagues compared plasma levels of beta-carotene that were measured at baseline and 12 years later in a subgroup of 1,318 men in whom prostate cancer had developed during the study and 2,038 men who served as controls.

Plasma levels of beta-carotene reflect dietary consumption of the antioxidant vitamin, Dr. Stampfer said. The researchers found that prostate cancer was 36% more likely to develop in men in the lowest quartile of beta-carotene at baseline than in men in the highest baseline quartile. Also, among study participants with the lowest baseline levels, those who supplemented appeared to have a 19% reduced risk of cancer, although the decrease was not statistically significant, Dr. Stampfer said.

Still, the researchers concluded that "these subgroup analyses are compatible with the possibility that beta-carotene supplementation reduces the risk of prostate cancer among those with low baseline levels."

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, though, is well known to contribute to better health, he said. Indeed, it may be some other component of foods rich in beta-carotene that protects against cancer, and not the beta-carotene itself, he added.

Derek Raghavan, M.D., chief of the division of solid tumor oncology at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., agreed, noting that men should not supplement their diets with beta-carotene in hopes of preventing prostate cancer.

An estimated 334,500 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and about 41,800 men will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society, headquartered in Atlanta. The disease is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. --J.S.


Smokers and beta-carotene lung cancer risk

A French study involving adult females published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (September 2005 issue) found that smokers with high beta-carotene levels had a higher risk of lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers than other smokers. They also found that non-smokers with high beta-carotene intake had a lower risk of lung cancer.

They found that the risk of lung cancer over a ten-year period was:

• 181.8 per 10,000 women for non-smokers with low beta-carotene intake
• 81.7 per 10,000 women for non-smokers with high beta-carotene intake
• 174 per 10,000 women for smokers with low beta-carotene intake
• 368.3 per 10,000 women for smokers with high beta-carotene intake

Further research has suggested that high intake among smokers is nearly always due to supplements, and not food intake.


Beta-carotene may slow down cognitive decline

Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene.

Men who have been taking beta-carotene supplements for 15 or more years are considerably less likely to experience cognitive decline than other males, researchers from Harvard Medical School reported in Archives of Internal Medicine (November 2007 issue).

Oxidative stress is thought to be a key factor in the cognitive decline, the researchers explained. Studies have shown that antioxidant supplements may help prevent the deterioration of cognition.

Their study, involving 4,052 men, compared those on beta-carotene supplements for an average of 18 years to others who were given a placebo. Over the short-term, they found no difference in cognitive decline risk between the two groups of men, but in the long-term, it was clear that beta-carotene supplements made a significant difference.

The researchers emphasized that there may have been other factors that contributed to the slower decline in cognitive abilities among the men in the beta-carotene group.


Beta-carotene drug interactions

Drug interaction refers to a substance interfering in how a medication works, by either making it less effective, increasing its potency, or changing what it is supposed to do.

The following drugs may be affected by beta-carotene supplements:

• Statins - the effectiveness of simvastatin (Zocor) and niacin may be decreased if the patient is taking beta-carotene with selenium and vitamins E and C.
• Some cholesterol-lowering drugs - cholestyramine and colestipol can reduce blood levels of dietary beta-carotene by thirty to forty percent.
• Orlistat (Xenical, Alli) - this is a weight control medication. It can undermine the absorption of beta-carotene by up to 30%, resulting in lower blood beta-carotene levels. Those choosing to take a multivitamin while on orlistat should take them at least two hours before having their medication.
• Mineral oil - used for the treatment of constipation can lower blood levels of beta carotene.

Long-term alcohol consumption can interact with beta-carotene, raising the chances of developing liver problems.


Beta-carotene slows down lung power decline as people age

The British Medical Journal published a report in March 2006 which showed that high blood beta-carotene levels compensate for some of the damage to the lungs caused by oxygen free radicals .

They measured the FEV1 of 535 participants and measured their beta-carotene blood levels.

FEV1 measures how much air you can breathe out in one go.

They found that those with high beta-carotene levels had a much slower decline in FEV1 measures.

LifeSource Vitamins Beta Carotene converts to Vitamin A in your body, and acts as an antioxidant, trapping free radicals which can damage the body's cellular membranes, lipids, proteins, and vitamins.

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*Disclaimer: None of the above statements have been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. As always, consult your physician before taking any and all supplements. LifeSource Vitamins. Individual results may vary.

Disclaimer: All the information contained throughout this website is based upon the opinions of the founder of LifeSource Vitamins, Bruce Brightman, and the entire team at LifeSource Vitamins whose relentless research and studies have been ongoing since 1992. Other articles and information are based on the opinions of the authors, who retain the copyright as marked in the article. The information on this site is not intended to replace your health care professional, but to enhance your relationship with them. Doing your own studying and research and taking your health care into your own hands is always best, especially in partnership with your health care professional.

If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have any medical conditions, always consult your health care professional before taking supplements based on the information on this site.

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