When you think of beta-carotene, you probably think of carrots. However, carrots can become boring when you're trying to increase your consumption of beta-carotene. Fortunately, several fruits contain high amounts of beta-carotene and, better yet, these fruits are easily identifiable as they all share one common factor. Moreover, increasing your consumption of fruits that are high in beta-carotene may have more benefits than you are aware of.
Beta-carotene
Beta-carotene is a carotenoid. Carotenoids are nutrients that your body converts into vitamin A. Eating a variety of beta-carotene-rich foods is a safe method of attaining your daily value of vitamin A because your body will not create more vitamin A than it needs, preventing the risk of toxicity, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Furthermore, beta-carotene may be effective in treating age-related macular degeneration, easing bronchitis in smokers, preventing exercise induced asthma attacks and reducing ovarian cancer risk in post-menopausal women according to the National Institutes of Health Medline Plus website.
Daily Value
The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests getting between 15 and 50 mg of beta-carotene a day. When possible, you should get your daily dose of beta-carotene through the fruits and vegetables you eat due to the additional nutritional benefits they offer. If you have been diagnosed with erythropoietic protoporphyria, a genetic disorder that makes you prone to sunburns, it is recommended that you get between 30 and 300 mg of beta-carotene a day for two to six weeks.
Fruits
You can often identify fruits that are high in beta-carotene by the yellow, orange or red color the fruit displays. Cantaloupe offers the highest amount of beta-carotene, among the fruits, with 1 cup of cubed melon totaling 110 percent of your daily value. Apricots, papaya and mango offer upward of 25 percent of your daily value, while peaches and tomato juice provide more than 6 percent. Despite their colors, citrus fruits, like oranges, are not high in beta-carotene and receive their coloring from another source.
Other Benefits
Aside from offering you a large dose of vitamin A, many fruits containing high amounts of beta-carotene also contain more than 20 percent of your daily value of vitamin C, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Vitamin C improves your body's ability to absorb iron, prevents urinary tract infections in pregnant women and helps some people avoid the common cold, according to MayoClinic.com. Furthermore, eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day is an important part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.
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