How Does Beta-Carotene Work?
Beta-carotene is one of 600 carotenoids found in nature. It is perhaps the best-known, both for its ability to act as a vitamin A precursor and its propensity to scavenge free radicals from living tissue. The latter property is what presumably confers beta-carotene’s health benefits. Notably, though, beta-carotene’s anti-oxidant activity is most effective in low-oxygen environments (i.e., the capillaries and deep tissues). In high-oxygen environments, beta-carotene actually becomes a pro-oxidant—more like a free radical itself—unless it is balanced by another antioxidant like vitamin E.
