Beta Carotene is classed as a provitamin or precursor to Vitamin A and is found only in plants rather than from animal sources. Beta Carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the liver and intestines as required by the body.
Extended Info
Vitamin A is the general name given to a group of substances that include retinol, retinal and carotenoids. Beta Carotene is classed as a provitamin or precursor to Vitamin A and is found only in plants rather than from animal sources. Beta Carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the liver and intestines as required by the body. As the quantity of Beta Carotene increases, the proportion of the absorbed material converted to Vitamin A decreases and more of the carotene enters the bloodstream unchanged. In some cases, this is a desirable state of affairs for two main reasons; (i) toxic amounts of Vitamin A will not be produced even when Beta Carotene is high, and (ii) Beta Carotene is rearded as non-toxic even when taken in quantities sufficient to impart a yellow colouration of the skin. Beta Carotene is stored in the fatty tissues of the body and circulates in the bloodstream, where it has been found to be a potent anti-oxidant and free radical scavenger. Lamberts Natural Beta Carotene is extracted in the natural form from Dunaliella saline, a pink alga which lives on the surface of salt lakes and which contains small amounts of other mixed carotenoids. The growth of the organism is controlled in a high salt water environment which precludes contamination by harmful micro-organisms.
Comments
Cautions
The UK Foods Standards Agency advises that Beta-Carotene in dosage amounts higher than 7mg should not be taken by heavy smokers
Dosage
1 or 2 capsules daily
Ingredients
Mixed Carotenoids 15mg providing:Beta Carotene 14.2mg Alpha Carotene 525ug Lutein 75ug Zeaxanthin 75ug Cryptoxanthin 150ug Equivalent to Vitamin A 2459ug (8189iu)Encapsulated with:Sunflower Seed Oil, Gelatin, Glycerin, Colours: Iron Oxides and Antioxidant: D-Alpha-Tocopherol. |
