Beta-Carotene

Carotenoid

Provitamin A carotenoid found in foods and supplements. Supplemental beta-carotene has not prevented cancer or cardiovascular disease in large trial syntheses and can increase lung-cancer risk in people who smoke.

Pharmacokinetic model

A route-level PK model for beta-carotene is being prepared from published data. Dosing references, studies, and documented interactions are below; the app catalog is updated as models are validated.

Key facts

Category
Carotenoid
Suggested cadence
once daily

Research behind this entry

  1. Association between beta-carotene supplementation and risk of cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Zhang Y, Yang J, Na X, Zhao A · Nutrition Reviews, 2023 DOI

    Synthesis of 18 reports from eight randomized trials found no reduction in overall cancer incidence and a higher lung-cancer risk with supplementation, especially among participants who smoked. The finding does not…

  2. Beta-Carotene Supplementation and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Yang J, Zhang Y, Na X, Zhao A · Nutrients, 2022 DOI

    Meta-analysis of ten trials reported no cardiovascular benefit and a modest increase in cardiovascular mortality with supplementation. Smoking was an important risk context in subgroup analyses.

  3. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8. Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group · Archives of ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960), 2001 DOI

    This citation reports a human clinical study involving a formulation related to Beta-Carotene, not the isolated identity. The randomized trial used beta-carotene in a multi-nutrient formulation, so isolated…

3 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.