A new study published on Nov 22, 2010 online in Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that high dietary intake  of alpha-carotene may help prevent death risk from all causes, heart disease or cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all other causes.

The study found an inverse association between serum alpha-carotene and death risk. It should be noted that the study did not prove any causative relation between death risk and serum alpha-carotene levels. 

This plant-derived nutrient may serve as a biomarker even though it is also possible that carotene may indeed play a role in the preventative effect on death risk.

Early studies have associated beta-carotene and total carotinoids with risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to the background information in the study report.

For the study, Chaoyang Li, MD and Ph.D.and colleagues from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and University of California at Los Angeles followed 15,318 US adults aged 20 or older who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Follow-up Study and tried to establish an association between serum alpha-carotene levels and death risk from cancer and cardiovascular disease.

During the 14-year follow-up, 3,810 deaths were identified.

The researchers found that compared with those with only 0 to 1 ug/dL of alpha-carotene in the blood, those with 2 to 3 ug/dL, 4 to 5 ug/dl, 6 to 8 ug/dL and 9 ug/dL were 23, 27, 34, and 39 percent less likely to die from all causes, respectively.

Additionally, Li et al. found significant associations between serum alpha-carotene concentrations and risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer and all other causes.

Beta-carotene is found high in canned pumpkin, canned carrot juice, cooked carrot, raw carrots, cooked frozen mixed vegetables, baked winter squash, raw plantains, cooked frozen Collards, tomatoes, tangerines, and peas, according to Linus Pauling Institute.

Many people may believe that antioxidants in these foods may also play a role in the risk reduction.  Many of these vegetables are known to contain anti-angiogenesis compounds, which may also have something to do with the reduced risk of cancer and CVD.

The researchers of the current study concluded "These findings support increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as a means of preventing premature death."

Jimmy Downs