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Article: Routing compounds to body's tissues. (carotenoids)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- October 1, 1998
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Carotenoids are pigmented compounds found in fruits and vegetables that help the body take in nutrients such as vitamin A. They also appear to enhance activity of the immune system.
While there has been much research on the potential health-promoting effects of carotenoids and several other classes of phytochemicals from plant foods, relatively little is known about either the digestive processes necessary to prepare these compounds for uptake into the cells that line the intestine or their absorption and transfer to various tissues in the body, Mark L. Failla, professor of nutrition, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, points out. "Since the details ...