Page 161 - Encyclopedia of Chemical Compounds 3 Vols

BETA CAROTENE

themselves. As a result, they must ingest some beta-carotene
Beta carotene. White atoms
are hydrogen and black atoms from plant sources in order to stay healthy. The compound is
are carbon. PUBLISHERS a provitamin, a substance that is converted in the body to a
RESOU RCE G ROUP vitamin. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A, whose
role in the body is the maintenance of strong bones and teeth
and healthy skin and hair.

Beta-carotene also acts as an antioxidant, a substance
that attacks free radicals in the body that may cause cancer.
It may also protect against heart disease and strengthen the
body’s immune system.

Beta-carotene was first isolated by the German chemist
Heinrich Wilhelm Ferdinand Wackenroder (1789–1854), who
extracted the compound from carrot roots in 1831. The com-
pound was first synthesized in 1950 by the Swiss chemist
Paul Karrer (1889–1971).

110 CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS