Scientists have found out what the benefits of carrots for humans depend on

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Orange beta-carotene gives carrots their color. In the human body, it turns into vitamin A. This vitamin performs several important functions at once, including improving eyesight and the health of the cardiovascular system.

Scientists from the Department of Dietetics at the University of Illinois decided to find out exactly how beta-carotene affects the health of the human cardiovascular system. It turned out that its usefulness depends not only on the amount of carrots eaten.

Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A by an enzyme called beta-carotene oxygenase 1 (BCA 1). Genetic variability determines whether a person has a more or less active version of BCA 1. According to associate professor Jaume Amengual, people with less active enzymes may need other sources of vitamin A in their diet.

In the first step, scientists analyzed samples blood and DNA of 767 healthy young people aged 18 to 25 years. The researchers found a correlation between the activity of the enzyme and the level of “bad” cholesterol. The genetic variation that determines the increased level of BCA 1 reduced the amount of cholesterol in the blood.

After that, the researchers conducted an experiment on mice to prove the connection between cholesterol deposition in blood vessels and beta-carotene levels. They proved that high levels of vitamin A are indeed associated with reduced deposition of fatty plaque in the arteries.

Typically, high levels of beta-carotene in the blood are associated with health benefits. However, as Amengual explained, about half of people have a genetically reduced production of the BCA 1 enzyme.

Therefore, beta-carotene is less easily converted to vitamin A. For them, carrots will be less useful compared to others. The scientist advises these people to pay attention to animal sources of vitamins, such as milk and cheese.

Source storinka.com.ua