by Carotenoid levels increased even more when people took a supplement containing beta-carotene, also a carotenoid, in addition to eating carrots.
About 9 out of 10 Americans don’t get the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, according to the study’s authors.
“Our results show that a small and manageable change in their diet can increase the accumulation of skin carotenoids in young adults,” says Suresh Mathews, PhD, professor and chair of nutrition and dietitians at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
What Are Carotenoids and Why Are They Important?
“They play two important roles in health,” says Dave Bridges, PhD, associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, who was not involved in the study.
“One is that they provide us with what can be vitamin A, and the other is that they work as antioxidants,” he says.
Higher levels of skin carotenoids are associated with improved immune function and better skin health, including a lower incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer, says Dr. Mathews.
Participants ate ½ Cup of Carrots 3 times a week
For this study, investigators aimed to determine whether there were measurable benefits in carotenoid levels from eating baby carrots just three times a week and how that might compare to the effect of beta-carotene supplements, designed also to raise the levels of antioxidants.
Researchers randomly assigned 60 young adults to groups that received four weeks of either 100 grams (g) (about half a cup) of baby carrots; a multivitamin supplement containing beta-carotene; a mixture of baby carrots and the supplement; or 100 g of Granny Smith apple slices (the control group).
Before and after the dietary intervention, scientists measured the participants’ carotenoid levels using an instrument called the VeggieMeter, a validated tool that uses light waves to measure carotenoids in a person’s skin.
Compared to pre-intervention levels, skin carotenoid scores increased significantly, 10.8 percent in the group that received the baby carrots alone and 21.6 percent in the group that received the carrots and the supplement.
There was no change in skin carotenoid levels in the control group or those who only received the supplement.
Carrots and Supplements May Have a Synergistic Effect
The study showed possible differences in how the body absorbs carotenoids depending on whether they are from food or supplements, says Mathews.
These results suggest that a multivitamin containing beta-carotene in combination with carrots in the diet may have a synergistic effect and help a person absorb more carotenoids overall, “what we call bioavailability , says Dr Bridges.
“It’s not always the case, but in general, it’s easier for your body to absorb nutrients and vitamins by eating nutritious foods compared to taking a supplement,” he says.
How Much Vitamin A and Carotenoids Should People Get?
In the United States, vitamin A deficiency is very rare, says Bridges. Even getting too much vitamin A has some risks, from severe headaches and blurred vision to coma and death.
“It’s not really proven that consuming more carotenoids would have additional health benefits for someone who is adequate in vitamin A,” Bridges notes.
But if someone is eating very little fruit and vegetables, then following the protocol in the study by taking a supplement and eating carrots could be helpful, he says.
The authors acknowledge that one limitation of this investigation is that it was conducted in young adults. “Further research is needed to study effects in other population groups, and to understand long-term effects,” says Mathews.
Are Baby Carrots Healthier Than Regular Carrots?
Fun fact: Baby carrots are basically the same as regular carrots. Baby carrots are chunks of whole carrots that have been peeled, cut into two-inch pieces, and bagged.
These snacks didn’t exist until the 1990s, but when they hit store shelves, carrot consumption doubled in the United States.
