Cryptoxanthin is a xanthophyll with uses as a synthetic dye that is present in the flowers of plants, vegetables, and fruits. It is known as beta-cryptoxanthin and when taken, it converts into retinol (vitamin A) in the human body.
It has benefits against oxidative stress, acting through its medicinal properties as an antioxidant. It inhibits the damage that free radicals can cause to the body, reducing aging by a high percentage, stopping the degradation of cellular DNA, and filtering solar radiation received as UV rays.
Contents
What is cryptoxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin
It is a plant compound naturally present in plants and widely used as a food coloring.
Cryptoxanthin is a pigment that can be obtained from plants like Physalis, which produces a fruit similar to a tomato but covered with a hard shell that protects it.
It belongs to the carotenoid family, being classified as a xanthophyll, which is a subgroup of carotenoids, and at the same time, cryptoxanthin shares many of the properties and benefits of beta-carotenes.
There is also beta-cryptoxanthin, often referred to in the same way as the two compounds have only some molecular differences but maintain their medicinal properties for humans.
This carotenoid has the function of providing yellow, orange, and red color to many fruits and vegetables, also being important in the shades of many seaweeds and medicinal and non-medicinal plants. It also acts as a filter for ultraviolet radiation.
Benefits
- Antioxidants.
- Improves vitamin A production.
Antioxidants
As an antioxidant, cryptoxanthin is capable of blocking the free radicals produced in metabolism, slowing down DNA deterioration and protecting other molecules from electron capture by the free radical.
Antioxidants are considered excellent for slowing and preventing premature aging of the skin, heart, liver, and overall human body.
Vitamin A
Being a precursor of vitamin A, when present, it enhances the production of this vitamin.
Vitamin A precursors are often called provitamin A, among which beta-cryptoxanthin is found.
Vitamin A is a very important nutrient to promote eye health, improve cell division, and maintain the immune system. It plays a fundamental role in reproduction as it requires cell division and evolution, as well as for the eye, it protects and promotes regeneration, maintaining vision for a longer time in individuals.
Is taking cryptoxanthin good?
By raising the levels of vitamin A in the body, taking cryptoxanthin provides us with the assurance that we will have adequate levels of retinol, which will facilitate the replacement of damaged cells with younger and functional ones.
Likewise, its antioxidant properties will capture free radicals, reducing the need for cellular regeneration. So the therapeutic benefits are twofold.
On the one hand, we prevent cell degeneration, and on the other hand, we stimulate that, in case the cellular tissue is damaged, there are enough nutrients for it to be replaced and rejuvenated by internal natural mechanisms of the human body.
In this regard, beta-cryptoxanthin is considered to be a great ally in the prevention of some types of cancer, degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis, or age-related diseases such as macular degeneration, something that zeaxanthin is useful for and manages to reduce.
It also participates in bone homeostasis, regulating the quality of bones and participating in their maintenance by osteoblasts, bone cells that synthesize the bone matrix and are necessary for bones to grow, repair, and, in general, for individuals to have good bone density, avoiding fractures and fissures very common in the elderly.
Foods
There are many foods with cryptoxanthin, and these are very easy to buy. They are available in all markets worldwide, and although some of them may be somewhat exotic in certain countries, they can always be replaced with others.
The foods richest in cryptoxanthin are:
- Persimmons.
- Pumpkins.
- Guavas.
- Corn.
- Tangerines.
- Butter.
- Apples.
- Peaches.
- Watermelon.
- Oranges.
- Nectarines.
- Papayas.
- Red peppers.
- Egg yolks.
- Beef brain.
Other Uses
In addition to the indications mentioned, beta-cryptoxanthin is used as a food coloring E161c.
This is applied for its ability to alter the appearance of foods, beverages, and products intended for human consumption without the side effects of canthaxanthin, which can cause retinal damage.
The color of the E161c dye is yellow, and it is obtained from the petals of the flowers of the Physalis plant.
References
- Lian F, Hu KQ, Russell RM, Wang XD, «Beta-cryptoxanthin suppresses the growth of immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells and non-small-cell lung cancer cells and up-regulates retinoic acid receptor beta expression,» Int J Cancer, 2006.
- Marja Mutanen, «Vegetables, Whole Grains, and Their Derivatives in Cancer Prevention,» 2009.
- Lorenzo, Y.; Azqueta, A.; Luna, L.; Bonilla, F.; Domínguez, G.; Collins, A. R. «The carotenoid -cryptoxanthin stimulates the repair of DNA oxidation damage in addition to acting as an antioxidant in human cells,» 2008.
- Burri BJ, «Beta-cryptoxanthin as a source of vitamin A,» J. Sci Food Agric, 2015.
- Yuan JM, Stram DO, Arakawa K, Lee HP, Yu MC, «Dietary cryptoxanthin and reduced risk of lung cancer: the Singapore Chinese Health Study,» Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2003.
- Merck Index, 11th Edition.
- Nuria Cubero, Albert Monferrer, Jordi Villalta, «Aditivos Alimentarios,» 2001, Madrid, Mundi-Prensa Libros.
- Javier Aranceta Bartrina, «Frutas, verduras y salud,» 2004, Elsevier España.
- Burri BJ, La Frano MR, Zhu C, «Absorption, metabolism, and functions of β-cryptoxanthin,» Nutr Rev, 2016.
- Anses – Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail, «Vitamine A & caroténoïdes provitaminiques,» 2016.
- Benjamin Caballero, «Guide to Nutritional Supplements,» Elsevier 2005.
