Human Health, Carotenoids and the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner

Carotenoids are a family of natural fat-soluble nutrients important for antioxidant defense (Packer, 1992, 1993; Cadenas and Packer, 2002) found throughout the plant kingdom. They are responsible for the red, orange or yellow color of many fruits and vegetables, such as pineapples, citrus fruits, peaches, nectarines, persimmons, tomatoes, papaya, apricots, carrots, watermelons, pumpkins, squashes and sweet potatoes. Sometimes their presence is masked by chlorophyll, especially in dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, collard greens, and kale.