Monday, April 5, 2010

Beta carotene levels in carrots - massive differences

Are your carrots the ones that have a 4.82 mg of beta carotene per 100 grams of the ones that have 11.3 mg of beta carotene per 100 grams?

These are two readings obtained from carrots purchased from supermarkets or vegetable retailers. Yet one is more than double the other. Yet another example about how food tables are rather pointless as there is so much variation that they can't account for.

Reference: Zakaria et al Caroteniod bioavailability of vegetables and carbohydrate containing foods measured by retional accumulation in rat livers. Jounral of Food composition and analysis 2000 vol 13 pg 301

Ben-Amotz and Fishler. Analysis of carotenoids with emphasis on 9-cis beta-carotene in vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in Israel. Food Chemistry, Vol 62 pg 515 1998.

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