Beta-carotene

Summary:

Beta-carotene is a member of the carotenoids, which are very colorful (red, orange, yellow), fat-soluble compounds. They are naturally found in many fruits, grains, oil and vegetables (like green plants, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, apricots, and green peppers). Alpha, Beta, and Gamma carotene are considered provitamins because they can be converted to active vitamin A.

Uses These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider.	Grade^*
Painful skin sensitivity to sunlight (erythropoietic protoporphyria)	A
Carotenoid deficiency	C
Cataract prevention	C
Chemotherapy toxicity (poisoning)	C
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)	C
Cystic fibrosis	C
Immune system enhancement	C
Muscle degeneration	C
Oral leukoplakia (mouth ulcers)	C
Osteoarthritis (hollow, brittle bones)	C
Pregnancy-related problems	C
Prevention of asthma (caused by exercise)	C
Rash from sunlight exposure	C
Sunburn prevention (erythema prevention)	C
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) prevention (bulging artery in the stomach)	D
Alzheimer's disease	D
Angioplasty	D
Birthmark/mole prevention	D
Cancer	D
Heart (cardiovascular) disease	D
Helicobacter pylori	D
Mortality reduction	D
Prevention of tissue injury after surgery	D
Stroke	D
*Key to grades: A: Strong scientific evidence for this use; B: Good scientific evidence for this use; C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use; D: Fair scientific evidence against this use (it may not work); F: Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likely does not work).

Safety:

Avoid if sensitive to beta-carotene, vitamin A or any other ingredients in beta-carotene products.

Possible side effects:

Acute respiratory infections, anemia, angina pectoris, asbestosis, benign breast disease, bone marrow transplantation, cell-to-cell communication, cervical cancer, chronic atrophic gastritis, chronic myeloid leukemia, colorectal cancer, diabetes, esophageal cancer, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction symptoms in young athletes, Graves' disease, group A streptococcal infections, high cholesterol, HIV, improving lung function, improving micronutrient status during alcohol rehabilitation, iron deficiency prevention, multiple myeloma, nasal polyposis, night vision, post-partum weight management, reduction of bronchopulmonary dysplasia without increasing mortality or neurodevelopmental impairment in extremely low birth weight infants, low birth weight prevention, sepsis, supratentorial glioblastoma, weight loss in HIV patients.

Possible interactions:

Alcohol, cigarettes, bile acid sequestrants (like Cholestyramine (like Questran ®) and colestipol (Colestid®)), colchicine, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (like atorvastatin (like Lipitor®), fluvastatin (like Lescol®), lovastatin (like Mevacor®) and pravastatin (like Pravachol®). If taken with selenium, vitamin C and vitamin E, beta carotene may reduce the effectiveness of simvastatin (like Zocor®) and niacin. Mineral oil, neomyacin, niacin, Orlistat, proton pump inhibitors (like esomeprazole (like Nexium®), lansoprazole (like Prevacid®), omeprazole (like Prilosec® or Losec®), rabeprazole (like Aciphex®) and pantoprazole (like Protonix® or Pantoloc®). Fish oil, iron, lutein, plant sterols, vitamin E, fatty foods, dark green leafy vegetables, olestra (fat substitute)/sucrose polyesters, red palm oil/sunflower oil, salad dressing, and herbs and supplements with similar effects.

Dosing:

Eating five servings of fruit and vegetables daily provides 6-8mg of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene requires some dietary fat in order for the body to absorb it. But beta-carotene products are similarly absorbed when taken with high-fat or low-fat meals. 1800 micrograms of beta-carotene has been reported to maintain adequate vitamin A levels.

The American Heart Association recommends obtaining antioxidants, including beta-carotene, from a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains rather than through supplements. Similar statements have been released by the American Cancer Society, the World Cancer Research Institute in association with the American Institute for Cancer Research, and the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. The Institute of Medicine has reviewed beta-carotene, but has not make recommendations for daily intake.

Adults (18 years and older):

	Painful skin sensitivity to light (erythropoietic protoporphyria): Taking beta-carotene by mouth can reduce sensitivity to light in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a genetic disorder resulting in defective porphyrin metabolism. In adults, 120-300 mg/day has been taken by mouth in divided doses. Dosages may be adjusted based on age. Effects may take 4-6 weeks to occur.
	Age-related muscle degeneration: Beta-carotene 15mg plus vitamin C 500mg, zinc oxide 80mg, and vitamin E 400IU has been given daily.
	Antioxidant: Many different doses have been suggested, often in combination with other antioxidants. For example, 2mg beta-carotene/100ml, 40mg alphatocopherol/100ml, 1mg zinc/100ml, 0.1mg copper/100ml and 10mcg selenium/100ml over four weeks has been reported to increase antioxidant activity in the body.
	Stomach cancer prevention: 15-30mg daily has been used in people at high risk, although this has not been proven effective.
	Low iron levels (anemia) in pregnant women: 2400 micrograms of beta-carotene (red palm oil) has been used to improve the mother and unborn child's vitamin A status anemia.
	Oral leukoplakia (mouth ulcers): 60mg daily for 6 months has been used.
	Rash from sunlight exposure: 75-180mg of beta-carotene (the equivalent of 125,000 to 300,000 Units of vitamin A activity) daily has been used.
	Prostate cancer prevention: In men with blood carotene levels below 153.25 ng/mL, 50mg every other day has been suggested to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. However, some studies have reported an increased risk of other types of cancers with beta-carotene.
	Sunburn prevention: In sun-sensitive individuals, beta-carotene 25mg taken by mouth daily has been used.

Children (younger than 18 years):

	Not enough scientific data available.
	Photosensitivity (erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP)/polymorphous light eruption): 30-150mg of beta-carotene has been taken daily by mouth in divided doses (the equivalent of 50,000 to 250,000 Units of vitamin A activity).
	Dosage may be adjusted based on age. For ages 1-4, the daily dose may be 60-90mg; for ages 5-8, 90-120mg; for ages 9-12, 120-150mg; for ages 13-16, 150-180mg; for age 16 and older, 180mg.
	If sun protection is not provided by theses doses, beta-carotene may be increased by 30-60mg per day for children under 16 years-old, and up to a total of 300mg daily for people older than 16 years-old. Effects may take 4-6 weeks to occur.

The information in this monograph is intended for informational purposes only, and is meant to help users better understand health concerns. Information is based on review of scientific research data, historical practice patterns, and clinical experience. This information should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Users should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for specific questions regarding therapies, diagnosis and/or health conditions, prior to making therapeutic decisions.