Carotenoids
The Compounds (5)
Lycopene
The red pigment of tomatoes and watermelon, better absorbed from cooked tomatoes, studied for LDL oxidation, skin protection and prostate health with mixed results.
Read the deep dive →Astaxanthin
The red microalgal pigment that colors salmon and shrimp, a powerful singlet-oxygen quencher studied for eye, skin, heart and exercise recovery.
Read the deep dive →Beta Carotene
Orange pigment of carrots and sweet potatoes that the body turns into vitamin A; high-dose synthetic supplements raised lung-cancer risk in smokers.
Read the deep dive →Lutein
A yellow carotenoid from leafy greens and egg yolks that concentrates in the retina; the AREDS2 trial found it slowed advanced macular degeneration.
Read the deep dive →Zeaxanthin
Found in corn, goji berries and egg yolks, this lutein partner fills the center of the macula and is studied for macular degeneration.
Read the deep dive →The fat-soluble plant pigments. Absorption depends on dietary fat and on food preparation, and two of them concentrate in the retina rather than circulating — which is why the eye trials read so differently from the general antioxidant literature.