Beta carotene ,the name is derived from the Latin word for carrot. It was discovered by the scientist Heinrich Wilhelm Ferdinand Wackenroder, who crystallized it from carrots in 1831.

Carotenoids are types of natural chemical compounds created by plants that help give them their bright yellow, orange or red pigments. There are more than 600 different carotenoids in existence, but several of the most well-known include α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

β-carotene is type of “provitamin A” compounds. This means they’re converted in the body once we eat foods that contain them in order to synthesize vitamin A, which is also sometimes called retinol. Contrary to popular belief, not all carotenoid-containing foods supply us with vitamin A. That’s because lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene have no vitamin A activity once consumed.

There are a number of ways that beta carotene can benefit human health. Below, we give some examples:

Good skin health

Beta carotene may also help boost your skin’s health. Again, this is likely due to its antioxidant effects.

A 2012 review Trusted Source reports that getting plenty of antioxidant micronutrients, including beta carotene, can increase the skin’s defenses against UV radiation and helps maintain skin health and appearance.

Eye health

Diets rich in carotenoids like beta carotene may help promote eye health and protect against diseases that affect the eyes including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that causes vision loss.

ResearchTrusted Source has shown that having high blood levels of carotenoids — including beta carotene — may reduce the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration by as much as 35 percent.

Plus, studiesTrusted Source has shown that diets high in fruits and vegetables rich in beta carotene may be particularly effective in reducing the risk of AMD in people who smoke.

May reduce the risk of certain cancers

ResearchTrusted Source suggests that diets rich in foods that are high in antioxidants like beta carotene may help protect against the development of certain cancers.

This includes:

premenopausal breast cancerTrusted Source

lung cancerTrusted Source

pancreatic cancerTrusted Source

Beta carotene may slow down cognitive decline

Men who have been taking beta carotene supplements for 15 or more years are considerably less likely to experience cognitive declineTrusted Source than other males, researchers from Harvard Medical School reported in Archives of Internal Medicine (November 2007 issue).

Oxidative stress is thought to be a key factor in cognitive decline, the researchers explained. Studies have shown that antioxidant supplements may help prevent the deterioration of cognition.

Beta carotene is an important dietary compound and an important source of vitamin A. Research has linked beta carotene intake with various health benefits.