Carotenoid

Carotenoids are a family of naturally occurring, plant-derived pigments responsible for the bright colours of many fruits and vegetables. They are also natural antioxidants and play an important role in protecting plants from damage caused by sunlight, toxins, and other environmental stresses. Carotenoids are essential to human health, helping maintain a healthy immune system, aiding in vision, and contributing to reproductive health. They are also being studied as potential treatments for some forms of cancer, asthma, and age-related illness. Increasing dietary intake of carotenoids is important for overall health, as they are not naturally produced in the body. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of carotenoids, with examples including carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, apricots, and tomatoes.