Carotenes are a commonly found type of supplement that is structurally an unsaturated carbohydrate. They belong to the group of carotenoids. This substance is also found in nature, representing a bright orange pigment. It is formed by plant photosynthesis. Most people are familiar with it from apricots, which have a pronounced orange tone when ripe. But a person or any other animal organisms cannot produce it due to the peculiarities of physiology.
Supplement Information
According to the generally accepted classification, the presented addition to various food products was labeled E160a. The name of the substance itself comes from the Latin word “carota”, which literally translates as “carrot”.
Such a strange name is explained by the fact that this particular root crop has an almost record-breaking content of carotene created by nature itself. In addition to carrots, the dietary supplement has become an important part of a number of other vegetables and fruits such as melon, cabbage, apricot, persimmon, pumpkin, parsley, sweet potato and exotic mango.
To determine whether a particular vegetable has a high content of carotenes, you can use the “by eye” method. The richer the orange color of the ripened fruit, the higher the chances that the vegetable will please with a good level of a useful ingredient.
Against this background, the question of whether the additive is dangerous or not practically disappears. Most consumers believe that if the component is of natural origin, then its possible harm is usually minimized.
The dye does not dissolve in water at all, but instead comes into easy contact with organic solvents or fats. From a medical point of view, E160a is listed as provitamin A, which is necessary for the normal functioning of every person.
At the same time, doctors remind that no matter what high-quality carotene is in the composition of the finished dish, it must be consumed in doses.
If you ignore this medical testament, then you may encounter an excess of a generally useful nutritional supplement.
With the development of such a scenario, an excess substance will begin to be deposited in the liver and fats of the eater. And if necessary, it begins to be synthesized into vitamin A. From this it follows that in large quantities, carotene is still harmful. Experts note that the yellow color of human subcutaneous fat just indicates that too much of such an additive has accumulated in the body. If we are talking about farm animals like cows or goats, then overeating an orange surcharge can result in their milk also getting a yellowish tint.
It will not be possible to get rid of it even with the subsequent processing of raw milk in order to obtain from it:
- cottage cheese;
- butter;
- sour cream
From a chemical point of view, all natural carotene can be divided into several categories. The most popular variations are alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. But in fact, there are many more groups of them, it’s just that other categories are used an order of magnitude less often. The remaining sentences are sorted into the following types with such additions: gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta.
The alpha and beta counterparts are most similar to each other. The difference is based solely on the location of the double bonds that are in the terminal molecular ring.
Industrial use
In the food industry, the additive is created using complex chemical synthesis technology, or using products that are known for their high content of carotene.
The second approach is considered organic, which reduces the possible negative impact on the body.
To make it easier to recognize these two variations, honest manufacturers always indicate on the packaging of their products which type of additive they use:
- E160a(i) – synthetic solution;
- E160a(ii) – natural adaptation.
In the first subspecies, the Americans distinguished themselves the most. They supply the world market with the lion’s share of the additive synthesized by chemical reactions. But in Spain, special mushrooms served as the basis for the extraction of the natural component. Australian factories operate on a similar principle, using dried algae as raw materials.