Stress Management

Natural Rescue Remedies for Anthrax

The Carotenoids

Carotene Supplement Recommendations

Because vitamin A, beta-carotene, and other carotenoids have independent roles in immunity and other aspects of health. You should consume all of them as part of a program to achieve optimal immunity.

Recommended Dosage

For long-term prevention of disease and optimal immunity, take 15 to 30 milligrams of natural beta-carotene or mixed-carotene supplements daily. 
Incorporate beta-carotene into a well-balanced vitamin/mineral regimen. High intake of vitamin E (in amounts greater than 600 lUs daily) has been shown to interfere with beta-carotene absorption and utilization.

Current smokers should not take any more than what is found in multivitamin supplements. (Studies have shown that high levels of synthetic beta-carotene supplements slightly increased the risk of developing lung cancer, although people in the same studies eating diets rich in beta-carotene had a low incidence of cancer.)

Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and supplement it with mixed natural carotenoids. When fighting an infection, however, increase your vitamin A for a short period of time.

Safety/Toxicity

Natural carotenoids are generally nontoxic. Even among patients using extremely high doses of beta-carotene (300 milligrams or 500,000 lUs daily) for prolonged periods there was no significant toxicity. The only effect of an overdose is a yellowing of the skin. It goes away when you stop taking the carotenoid supplements.

Beta- carotene has the same benefits as preformed vitamin A and has almost none of its adverse side effects.

Natural Sources for Beta Carotene

Beta-carotene can be found in dark green and yellow-orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, peppers, apricots, and papayas. Carrots contain a 2:1 ratio of beta-carotene to alpha-carotene. Pumpkins have more alpha- than beta-carotene. Cooking breaks down the cell walls of vegetables and provides 30 percent more carotenoids than raw carrots. 
A great source for mixed carotenoids is a vegetable soup.

Foods rich in beta- carotene include:

A single sweet potato contains nearly 10,000 lUs of beta- carotene.

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