Flowers are blooming, the sun is shinning and birds are singing. Yes, it’s that lovely time of the year called spring. Part of what makes spring so nice is the many different colors nature has to offer. Besides the myriad flower color choices, trees are showing off their deep greens and edible produce from berries to bell peppers are in season.
Many of the plants we eat can thank carotenoids for their hue. Carotenoids are the pigments that create those beautiful colors. Tomatoes are red because of lycopene, the yellow in corn comes from zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene tints carrots orange.
Carotenoids are divided into two groups: xanthophylls, which contain oxygen; and carotenes, which contain hydrocarbons, but no oxygen. Lutein, zeaxanthin and astaxanthin are xanthophylls; while carotenes include beta-carotene, lycopene and alpha-carotene.
The more than 600 different caroteniods support the process of photosynthesis along with chlorophyll, and are made by plants to protect themselves from environmental stress. This includes absorbing blue light to protect against sun damage. Considered antioxidants, carotenoids neutralize reactive oxygen species known as free radicals.
While most consumers eat carotenoids in their food and supplement with them in their multivitamins, the term may be outside of their awareness. “Consumers may be more aware of specific carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene due to publicity by some of our industry’s leading companies,” said Bob Capelli, vice president sales and marketing, Cyanotech Corp.
Gracey Matlosz, marketing analyst, DSM Nutritional Products Inc., noted, “The gap in awareness between the term ‘carotenoid’ and the individual carotenoids may be attributed to both consumer media coverage of specific carotenoids and their benefits, as well as physicians’ recommendations. More physicians specifically advise their patients to take an individual carotenoid such as ‘beta-carotene,’ ‘lutein’ or ‘lycopene’ rather than suggest increasing their intake of ‘carotenoids’ in general.”
This lack of understanding leaves room for the industry to educate. “There’s much continued work to be done to ensure the mass consumer understands ‘carotenoids’ in the way they understand their parent group, ‘antioxidants,’” said Matt Phillips, president, Cyvex Nutrition. “This provides an opportunity to educate the general consumer concerned about diet and health. At Cyvex, we have enjoyed thinking creatively, and believe one message that can work is to tie carotenoids into color-benefit values. Simple, compelling and potentially highly effective in cementing the message and thus, increasing carotenoid consumption.”