Beta Carotene (3,000 mcg / 10,000 IU)

Beta carotene is the pigment that makes a carrot orange, and it is named for the carrot — Daucus carota — by the chemist who first crystallized it in 1831. Structurally it is two molecules of vitamin A joined end to end, which is the whole point of it. The body cleaves the bond as needed.

That conversion step is what distinguishes beta carotene from preformed retinol. Vitamin A is fat-soluble and accumulates; beta carotene is converted on demand, and the enzyme responsible slows down as stores fill. The result is a provitamin source that supports normal vitamin A status while the body governs the pace. Vitamin A plays a role in normal vision, normal immune function, and the maintenance of healthy skin and mucous membranes.

Beta carotene is also a carotenoid antioxidant in its own right, quenching singlet oxygen and helping protect lipid membranes from oxidative damage. It is fat-soluble, which is why this is delivered in a softgel — take it with a meal containing some fat, or absorption suffers.

Hypoallergenic, with no diluents, binders, or fillers.

3,000 mcg RAE (10,000 IU) · Available in 60 softgels

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.