Beta-Carotene Unit Converter

Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid, a natural pigment that gives many fruits and vegetables their yellow, orange, and red colors.

Once absorbed from food, the body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A (retinol) in the intestinal lining and liver. It is the most abundant and well-studied of all carotenoids.

As a fat-soluble nutrient, beta-carotene requires dietary fat for proper absorption. Serum beta-carotene levels serve as a useful marker of both dietary fruit and vegetable intake and fat absorption status.

Beta-carotene is obtained entirely from diet, as humans cannot synthesize it. It is found in yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, mangoes) and in dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale). After absorption in the intestine, it is converted to vitamin A primarily in the intestinal lining and liver.