May 07, 2015 • By Palm Oil •
High levels of dietary carotenoids, especially beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, are associated with reduced type 2 diabetes risk in generally healthy men and women, data from of a prospective study published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases suggest.
To investigate the relationship between higher dietary carotenoid intake and type 2 diabetes risk, as well as whether smoking modifies these associations, researchers analyzed dietary carotenoids intake data collected in validated food frequency questionnaire from 37,846 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands (EPIC-NL) study. The participants were followed for a mean of 10 years. Among the participants, 31 percent were smokers.
Upon assessing dietary carotenoids intake levels consisting of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and the total of these six carotenoids, the results showed that higher dietary intakes of beta- and alpha-carotene were associated with reduced diabetes risk.
On the other hand, dietary intakes of beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin were not associated with diabetes risk. Interestingly, smoking was not shown to modify any of these associations.
"This study shows us that among the six common dietary carotenoids, consuming high levels of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene leads to reduction of type 2 diabetes risk in healthy men and women, at the same time, smoking status does not alter the benefit," says Bryan See, Regional Product Manager, ExcelVite Inc.
"EVTene natural mixed carotenoids complex contains high levels of both alpha- and beta-carotene, in fact, it has the highest ratio of alpha-carotene in the market, making it the perfect ingredient for food fortification to deliver necessary carotenoid intake to promote general health," added See.
EVTene 10%, 15% and 20% are also Non-GMO Project verified.
Malaysian sustainable palm oil is rich in vitamin E tocotrienols, which support brain health. Tocotrienolshelp repair nerve endings that have been damaged by stroke. Researchers are also looking at vitamin E's anti-cancer benefits. Malaysian sustainable palm oil also has beta carotene, which is precursor to vitamin A. This healthy cooking oil also has the right ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids which makes it beneficial for heart health. It's actually one of the key oils used in the Smart Balance blends.
I know that palm oil can be very controversial. Some countries may not be doing the right thing, but in Malaysia, palm oil is grown and manufactured in a very sustainable way. Plus, it's not a GMO plant. So even if you don't see the country of origin identified, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater if you see palm oil on the label.
