Question

Carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and mangoes are all good sources of ________, a carotenoid that the body can convert to vitamin A.

1) Lycopene
2) Lutein
3) Beta-carotene
4) Anthocyanin

Answer 1

Carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and mangoes are all rich sources of beta-carotene, which the human body can transform into vitamin A. This transformation is vital for maintaining healthy skin, bones, teeth, and for the proper functioning of vision, especially in low light conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and mangoes are all good sources of beta-carotene, a carotenoid that the body can convert to vitamin A. Beta-carotene is a colored pigment, predominantly orange in nature, and is instrumental in providing the required provitamin for healthy skin, bones, teeth, and good vision.

Vitamin A is crucial for night vision, and a deficiency can result in difficulty seeing in low light conditions. While animals cannot synthesize vitamin A on their own, they can convert carotenoids from plants into active vitamin A. Beta-carotene is the most potent precursor of vitamin A, and this transformation occurs in the liver in humans, with an enzyme called ß-carotene 15, 15'-oxygenase.