All about Beta Carotene

Beta carotene is a nutrient that is converted by the body into vitamin A when needed. It is also known as a carotenoid, which is the name given to a group of nutrients found in high concentrations in the pigments of fruits and vegetables.

Beta carotene has been touted as a nutrient that can protect against cancer and heart disease. These benefits are attributed to its ability to boost the immune system and act an a powerful antioxidant.

A survey of a study at Harvard University showed that taking 50 mg of beta carotene per day slashed the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 50%.

Often, this nutrient is also taken to improve vision and combat skin disorders, such as psoriasis and eczema.

Additional benefits include protection of the throat, mouth, and lungs from precancerous cell proliferation.

A now famous –- although criticized for potentialy flawed –- study in Finland concluded that male smokers who also took beta carotene had an increased incidence of lung cancer. Until further reinforcing or contradicting research comes out, smokers may want to avoid taking beta carotene.

Other than this, beta carotene seems to be a very safe nutrient. Unlike vitamin A, which can lead to toxicity, beta carotene is only converted on demand, and, therefore, does not present the same problem.

Many experts advise taking between 2,500 IU to 10,000 IU daily.

Not all beta carotene is the same in potency and, consequently, efficacy. For example, most manufacturers use synthetic beta carotene, which is extremely cheap. Natural Beta Carotene, on the other hand, is more expensive, but has been shown in clinical trials to be superior. For instance, in one study, the synthetic version tested on rats with tumors had no effect, while the natural version caused the tumors to disappear.

Want the best Beta Carotene product?

One product called Total Balance uses the purest beta carotene we have ever come across in a nutritional supplement.

At their website it states "we source and use natural crystalline 98% pure beta-carotene in our 'Total Balance' product from the top manufacturer of this nutrient in Europe at a cost of $2,400 per kilo, instead of the more common synthetic variety at a cost of only around $60.

This is an interesting example because natural beta-carotene has been proven in clinical trials to be far superior to its synthetic alternative. In one of these trials, which involved testing beta-carotene on tumors, the natural version was responsible for the tumors disappearing and yet the synthetic version had no impact at all. However, even with the natural crystalline beta-carotene there can be a wide variance of potency. We use 98% pure but most manufacturers use only 3% pure."

Total Balance does not contain just beta carotene, but almost 70 nutrients altogether, which includes vitamins, minerals, enzymes, speciality nutrients, amino acids, and herbal extracts.

We take it everyday and you may want to look into Total Balance as well for your own health.