carotenoid
Meaning of carotenoid: Carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for red, orange, and yellow coloring in produce, some of which the body converts into vitamin A.
Definition of carotenoid
A carotenoid is a member of a family of naturally occurring pigments responsible for the red, orange, and yellow coloring of many fruits and vegetables, and also present, though masked by chlorophyll, in dark green leafy vegetables. Well known examples include beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein, each with a slightly different chemical structure and role in the body.
Some carotenoids, including beta-carotene, serve as precursors to vitamin A, meaning the body can convert them into a usable form of that vitamin, while others, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, are not converted to vitamin A but instead accumulate in specific tissues, including the retina of the eye.
Carotenoids act as antioxidants in laboratory studies, and dietary intake of carotenoid rich foods has been studied in relation to various health outcomes, though large trials testing high dose beta-carotene supplements, rather than carotenoids from food, have not shown the same benefit and raised safety concerns in some groups, such as smokers.
Used in a sentence
The patient's diet was reviewed for intake of carotenoid rich vegetables as part of general nutrition counseling.
Good to know
Large clinical trials of high dose beta-carotene supplements failed to show a cancer prevention benefit and suggested possible harm in smokers, a result that does not necessarily apply to carotenoids consumed through whole foods.
Word origin
Where “carotenoid” comes from
Formed from Latin carota, meaning carrot, combined with the Greek suffix -oid, meaning resembling, since beta-carotene was first isolated from carrots.