Carrot Compound Suppresses 70% Of Lung Cancer In Vivo And Reduces Risk In Humans

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Carrots are considered one of the healthiest food items you can include in your diet. They are popularly known for their high beta-carotene content, a substance that becomes converted into Vitamin A inside the body. Vitamin A contributes to eye and skin health, as well as the immune system. Your parents weren’t lying when they said that carrots would help you see better! However, because of the important role beta-carotene plays in human health, its sibling – alpha-carotene – is often overlooked. But not anymore!

Studies that support alpha-carotene’s cancer-fighting ability:

Alpha-carotene was the focal point of a 1992 study on cancer that spawned hundreds of studies in the years that followed. ^[1] The 1992 study that started it all: In 1992, Murakoshi, et. al. focused on alpha-carotene, a substance found in carrots (along with beta-carotene). ^[1] Alpha-carotene supplements were included in the diets of mice affected by liver, lung, and skin cancer. The results of the study were very promising – alpha-carotene was able to decrease the number of hepatomas (liver tumors), lung tumors, and skin papillomas (skin tumors) by as much as 70 percent. The study suggests that a diet high in alpha-carotenoids could potentially play a role in the prevention of several types of cancer. ^[2]

After the 1992 study, more and more researchers started focusing on alpha-carotene’s potential cancer-fighting properties.

– In 2015, Liu, et. al. focused on the effects of alpha-carotene on Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), a kind of lung tumor. The study found that alpha-carotene was able to fight LLC in vitro, by inhibiting the tumor’s growth and metastasis to other parts of the lung and the body. The researchers concluded that alpha-carotene could be used as an anti-cancer agent, alone or together with chemotherapy. ^[3]

– A study in 2013 by Chen, et. al. focused on the effects of alpha-carotene on liver cancer, with similarly very promising results. Hepatocarcinoma cells were treated with alpha-carotene in the study. The research concluded that alpha-carotene was able to significant inhibit metastasis in liver cancer by halting further development of the cancer cells. ^[4]

– In 2015, a study conducted by Wang, et. al. found that a diet rich in alpha-carotene was able to significantly lower the risk of invasive breast cancer. According to the study, there was an inverse relationship between plasma alpha-carotene levels (alpha-carotene in the blood) and invasive breast cancer cases. ^[5]

These studies are just a few that focus on the numerous health benefits of carrots (and its compounds). Try to include carrots in your daily meals or as snacks to boost the amount of alpha-carotene in your diet.