Carotenoids are fat-soluble pigments that give a red-orange-yellow color to fruits, vegetables, egg yolks, wild salmon, steelhead trout, shellfish (e.g., shrimp and lobsters), and the feathers of birds, notably brilliant pink flamingos. Fish and fowl alike get their red-orange-yellow hues from eating large quantities of carotenoid-rich aquatic plants, such as algae and plankton.
The deep, vibrant colors, such as those found in fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and seafood such as wild salmon, signify the presence of antioxidants, making these foods an essential part of this program. The carotenoid family of antioxidants offers very special and targeted properties for cellular rejuvenation—in fact, as you will see, they play a significant role in cellular growth and repair.
Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, chard, and collards are also rich in carotenoids, but their red-orange-yellow colors are masked by green-hued chlorophyll, which is a more dominant pigment.
Because they are fat-soluble, carotenoids can enter both the cell plasma membrane and the mitochondria, where they protect these parts of the cell from oxidative stress, free-radical damage, and pro-inflammatory chemicals. This is very important for protecting our immune systems, because it is well known that immune cells are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress.
The vivid hues of foods colored by these natural antioxidant pigments impart more than just eye appeal (and serious eye protection and regeneration). Here are some of the key benefits you may enjoy from eating carotenoid-rich foods:
• The body converts the carotenoids in spinach to vitamin A (retinol) as needed.
• Carotenoids may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, in part because of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties. (Note: Unlike food sources, supplemental carotenoids such as alpha- and beta-carotene do not produce consistently positive results against cardiovascular disease.)
• Carotenoids neutralize the free radicals responsible for general oxidative stress, which damages the cell and is the primary force behind the symptom-free “sub clinical” inflammation that accelerates the internal aging process and manifests externally as wrinkles.
• Carotenoids may reduce the risk of cancer, especially cancers of the lung, bladder, breast, esophagus, and stomach.
• Carotenoids help block sunlight-induced inflammation in the skin, which leads to wrinkles and can cause skin cancer.
• The lutein and zeaxanthin abundant in spinach, kale, and collard greens exert protective antioxidant effects in the retina, and, accordingly, they appear to help prevent cataracts and macular de- generation. They also help protect against prostatic changes.
In fact, calorie for calorie, spinach and other dark-green leafy vegetables offer extraordinary amounts of more preventive-health nutrients and anti-aging antioxidants than most other foods. Together with their potent antioxidant, anti-aging pigments, these metabolic basics make them a preventive-health powerhouse.
• Are excellent sources of vitamins C and K, which are essential to bone health
• Are excellent sources of magnesium, which can help lower high blood pressure and protect against heart disease
• Are good sources of calcium but are also high in oxalic acid, which blocks its absorption. For this reason, spinach is not as good a source as its calcium content suggests. Add calcium-rich foods such as cottage cheese and yogurt to meals to compensate for this effect.
• Are an excellent source of folate, a B-complex vitamin essential for cell growth, reproduction, and proper fetal development. (Cooked, spinach contains 146micrograms of folate per 3.5-ounce (105-g) serving, or about 37% of the recommended daily allowance, or RDA.) Folate also allows the body to neutralize a blood chemical called homocysteine that can lead to heart attack or stroke. And low folate intake has been linked to increased risk of a number of cancers. The combination of high folate and carotenoids in these vegetables increases their cancer-protective properties
Researchers at Tufts University report that men who consumed foods high in folate (such as spinach) for 3 years displayed sharper cognitive skills at the end of the study period. Two mental capacities that typically decline with age were tested: verbal skills and the ability to copy complex figures. Tufts nutritional epidemiologist Katherine Tucker described the challenges copying a figure presents to the brain: “You have to visualize it spatially, locate it in your brain, and then tell your hand to draw it.”
Another study, this one involving young women, found that those who consumed at least 1,000 micrograms of folate a day were 46% less likely to develop high blood pressure than those who consumed less than 200 micrograms. Since high blood pressure is a major cardiovascular risk factor, this is a very exciting finding. Experts recommend that all adults consume at least 400 micrograms a day, which is the amount considered essential for women to take to prevent birth defects. (Note: A high-folate diet can cause seizures in those taking anticonvulsion medications.).
It’s not just the carotenoids found in plant foods that protect and rejuvenate the cells. Astaxanthin is the type of carotenoid found in wild salmon and gives salmon its deep pink or red hue. Astaxanthin is often referred to as “red gold from the sea,” because it is the antioxidant leader of all carotenoids: 10 times more potent than beta-carotene and 100 times stronger than vitamin E. Rainbow trout, shrimp, lobster, craw- fish, crabs, and red caviar also owe their rich coloring to the astaxanthin in their diets. Wild Alaskan sockeye salmon delivers a remarkable 4.5 milligrams per 4-ounce (125-g) serving. In terms of antioxidant capacity, 4.5 milligrams of astaxanthin is equivalent to 450 milligrams of vitamin E—the amount widely recommended for optimal health.
As if all that weren’t enough, researchers at the University of Hawaii have produced additional evidence to show how carotenoids work to increase cellular health, encourage cell-to-cell communication, and prevent cancer.
Researcher Dr. John Bertram reported that dietary carotenoids increased the activity of a molecule called connexin. This molecule forms small channels between cells, and by doing so, connects virtually all cells in the body. Through these channels, cells exchange nutrients and many vital signals that ensure normal cellular growth. When we understand that the word cancer is a general term for about 100 diseases characterized by uncontrolled, abnormal growth of cells, we realize how important normal cellular growth is in its prevention.
It is believed that restoring communication between cells may stop tumor growth and also prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Studies have shown that up to 70% of human cancer is preventable, and 40% of this can be attributed to diet. This is of critical importance when we consider that aging itself is a potent carcinogen. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 80% of cancers are diagnosed in people older than 55. After reaching late middle age, men face a 50% chance of developing cancer, and women have a 35% chance. No one knows why cancer typically surfaces later in life, although a multitude of scientific theories abound. It may well be due to years of following a pro-inflammatory lifestyle and eating pro-inflammatory foods that cause serious damage to our cells. Fortunately we can stop a lot of this damage by simply changing the way we eat and adding targeted nutritional supplements.
