Top 10 Foods Highest in Beta Carotene

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Top 10 Foods Highest in Beta Carotene

Beta Carotene is a carotenoid compound responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their orange pigment. A powerful antioxidant, beta-carotene has been found to help protect against cancer and aging (however beta-carotene supplements can increase lung cancer risk for smokers).

Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble vitamin, so eating the following foods with a fat like olive oil or nuts can help absorption. Foods high in beta-carotene include sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, butternut squash, cantaloupe, lettuce, red bell peppers, apricots, broccoli, and peas. There is no official recommended daily allowance (RDA) for beta-carotene, but a figure of 10800mcg per day can be used as a general target.

Below is a list of the 10 best beta-carotene foods. Use the nutrient ranking of over 200 foods high in beta-carotene to sort by 100 gram serving sizes and find even more foods.

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Where does the RDA for Beta-Carotene come from?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily requirement for a particular nutrient. With vitamin A the requirement is set in terms of retinol activity equivalents (RAE).

The RDA for an adult male is 900mcg RAE. The RDA for an adult female is 700mcg, although it can go as high as 1,300mcg during lactation. (2)

For beta-carotene from foods 1mcg RAE = 12mcg beta-carotene. So the RDA for beta-carotene is equal to the RDA for RAE times 12. We use the 900mcg RDA to set the RDA for beta-carotene, so it is 900mcg x 12 = 10800mcg.

Warnings

Avoid beta-carotene from supplements. While eating a lot of beta-carotene in foods is considered harmless, beta-carotene in the form of supplements can increase the risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. (2)

Beta-carotene supplements are especially risky for:
  • Pregnant and breast-feeding women
  • Those who have had angioplasty
  • Those who have had asbestos exposure
  • Smokers

Again, these risks only come from the form of beta-carotene found in supplements, and in high doses. Beta-carotene from foods is considered safe and healthy. Only consume beta-carotene supplements under the supervision of a medical professional. (3)

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.


View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
  2. Office of Dietary Supplements on Vitamin A and Carotene
  3. Medline Plus on Beta-Carotene
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