Carotenoids
The Compounds (5)
Lycopene
The red pigment of tomatoes and watermelon, better absorbed from cooked tomatoes, studied for low-density lipoprotein (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.