Another Clue to the Veggie/Long Life Connection

First, researchers suspected that one secret to living healthier longer lay in carotenoids -phytochemicals that also include beta-carotene, lycopene and others, and are found in fruits and vegetables. But research into the carotenoid/long life connection has been inconclusive, to be kind, even as studies continue to link diets high in fruits and vegetable to longer lives. So what is it, exactly, about fruits and vegetables that holds the power? Scientists now believe that the magic is in something called alpha-carotene, which is found primarily in yellow-orange and dark green veggies including broccoli, carrots, collards, green beans, lettuce, peas, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes and winter squash. The Scientific American reports that researchers at the Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assessed the blood levels of serum alpha-carotene in 15,318 U.S. adults and followed up over an average of 13.9 years to see which of the participants had died. After controlling for demographic, health and lifestyle factors, the researchers "found that serum alpha-carotene concentration was inversely associated with adjusted risk of death."  The researchers found an especially strong correlation between higher alpha-carotene levels and lower risk of death from diabetes, upper respiratory tract and upper digestive tract cancers, as well as lower respiratory disease. The Scientific American points out that unlike beta-carotene, alpha-carotene is not often found in multivitamins or other common dietary supplements, suggesting that there is no substitute for the real, and natural, thing.

Read more in the Scientific American.