Converted into vitamin A in the liver, Beta-Carotene is nature's safest source of vitamin A.

Beta carotene has long been known to be an immune booster and recent studies support this contention. "Beta carotene supplementation appears to be beneficial for individuals with compromised immune systems, and does not over-stimulate the immune responses of healthy adults..."

Beta carotene may be particularly helpful for the immune systems of the elderly. According to Richard Passwater Ph.D., in his book, Beta Carotene and Other Carotenoids, beta carotene supplementation has been shown to enhance some, but not all, aspects of cell-mediated immunity in healthy older men.

Michelle Santos, et al., writing in the November 1996 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, notes that beta carotene may increase the activity of natural killer cells. This is an important point, as natural killer (NK) cell activity has been postulated to be an immunologic link between beta carotene and cancer prevention. The article states that, "Our results show that long-term beta carotene supplementation enhances NK cell activity in elderly men, which may be beneficial for viral and tumoral surveillance."

Last year, Harvard Medical School released research that indicates that beta carotene can sharply reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men with low beta carotene blood levels. (Cancer Weekly Plus, June 9,1997). In this research, the diets, lifestyles, and health of more than 22,000 male doctors were observed. Half of the doctors were given 50 mg (80,000 IU) of beta carotene every other day. The findings indicated that physicians with low levels of beta carotene were one-third more likely to develop prostate cancer. The doctors who supplemented with beta carotene were 36 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who ate few beta carotene-rich fruits and vegetables and did not take beta carotene supplements.

The link between cancer and beta carotene is also mentioned in more recent research. An article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (August 1997) notes that epidemiological studies reveal that people with high intakes of beta carotene or high blood concentrations of this nutrient have a reduced risk of various diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

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