Dietary Sources
The following foods are particularly rich in carotenes (also see Vitamin A article for amounts):
- sweet potatoes
- carrots
- wolfberries (goji)
- cantaloupe melon
- mangoes
- apricots
- Persimmon
- spinach
- kale
- chard
- turnip greens
- dandelion greens
- beet greens
- mustard greens
- collard greens
- watercress
- cilantro
- fresh thyme
- broccoli
- parsley
- romaine lettuce
- ivy gourd
- rose hips
- winter squash
- pumpkin
- cassava
Absorption from these foods is enhanced if eaten with fats, as carotenes are fat soluble, and if the food is cooked for a few minutes until the plant cell wall splits and the colour is released into any liquid. 6 μg of dietary β-carotene supplies the equivalent of 1 μg of retinol, or 1 RE (Retinol Equivalent). This is equivalent to 3⅓ IU of vitamin A.
Read more about this topic: Carotene
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