Protect Your DNA - Count on Carotenoids

Think orange, yellow, red, and green to protect your DNA.

Carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene may help prevent the kind of DNA damage that contributes to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Bright orange, yellow, red, and green fruits and veggies are good sources of these carotenoids, so pile your plate high with carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, red bell peppers, spinach, and kale.

Your diet is the best way to get the optimal amount of carotenoids, which have disease-fighting antioxidant properties. Chopping, slicing, shredding, or pureeing carotenoid-containing fruits and vegetables will help you get the biggest antioxidant boost from these foods. Also, a tiny bit of dietary fat will aid absorption of carotenoids, so add a dab of olive oil or another item containing unsaturated fat. In a small study, postmenopausal women age 50 to 70 took either 12 milligrams (mg) of a mixed-carotenoid supplement containing 4 mg each of lutein, beta-carotene, and lycopene; 12 mg of beta-carotene; or a placebo daily for about 2 months. At the end of the study, women who took carotenoid supplements exhibited less DNA damage than the women who took a placebo. It's best to get your nutrients from food, so feast on spinach salads, sweet potatoes, and stir-fry vegetables sautéed in olive oil. A supplement also can help boost your carotenoid intake when your diet falls short.

Reference
Lots more information on Carotenoids from The World's Healthiest Foods website.