Tag Archives: alpha-carotene

Alpha Carotene May Hold Key to Longer Life

While the more popular antioxidant beta-carotene gets all the hoopla, alpha-carotene deserves some praise for its health benefits as well. That’s because a new study has found that alpha-carotene can lower your risk of premature death.

Beta-Carotene vs. Alpha-Carotene

Both nutrients are in the carotenoids “family,” which gets its name from carrots due to the orange coloring it helps produce in the vegetable. Once you have consumed these antioxidants, both of them are converted into vitamin A by the body. However, experts believe the process happens more efficiently with beta-carotene than with alpha-carotene.

With that said, in the wake of this new study, experts believe that alpha-carotene may play a more important role in defending the DNA in your cells from attack.

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