Beta-carotene has long been hailed as a powerful antioxidant, but the latest studies on the red-orange pigment found in carrots suggest the benefits could be much more far-reaching than ever imagined.
One of the biggest studies ever undertaken into the relationship between diet and cancer has revealed that women who ate foods that are high in beta-carotene, such as carrots and red peppers, were between 40 and 60 per cent less likely to develop oestrogen receptor negative breast cancers, which make up around 30 per cent of all breast cancers.
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, led by Holland’s Utrecht University Medical Center, involved 3,000 women - half of whom had breast tumours and half of whom had never had cancer.
The human body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is necessary for healthy skin and mucus membranes, our immune system, and good eye health and vision.
For just 50 calories, a one-cup serving of sliced, raw carrots delivers about 10,100 micrograms of beta-carotene, or the equivalent of just over 400 percent of the daily value for vitamin A. Interestingly, a 1998 study conducted at the University of California found that women who ate cooked carrots and spinach absorbed three times as much beta-carotene as those who ate the vegetables raw.
