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Diet and Human Immune Function pp 165–183Cite as

Carotenoids

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Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

The consumption of five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is now a common recommendation by many national and international advisory bodies (1–3), which is based on several epidemiologic studies that show a consistent association between a high intake of fruits and vegetables and a reduced incidence of chronic diseases, such as cancer (4) and cardiovascular disease (5). However, the active components in fruits and vegetables responsible for these beneficial effects remain uncertain. Recently, considerable attention has been given to the carotenoids found in these foods, mainly their antioxidant properties. After a major review article in Nature by Peto and colleagues in 1981 (6), a great deal of attention focused on the potential role of one particular carotenoid, (β-carotene, in preventing cancer. Numerous publications have described epidemiologic studies, in vitro experiments, animal studies, and clinical trials that suggest that this carotenoid can protect against not only cancer but also other oxidative damage-associated disorders, as listed in Table 1 (reviewed in [7]).

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Authors
  1. David A. Hughes
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition Division, Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk, UK

    David A. Hughes PhD, RNutr

  2. Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, Surrey, UK

    L. Gail Darlington MD, FRCP

  3. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Parsippany, NJ, USA

    Adrianne Bendich PhD, FACN

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Hughes, D.A. (2004). Carotenoids. In: Hughes, D.A., Darlington, L.G., Bendich, A. (eds) Diet and Human Immune Function. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-652-2_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-652-2_9

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61737-422-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-652-2

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