Carotenoids, a family of some 500 natural yellow-to-red pigments, brighten the plant world. Diets rich in at least one of these, lutein, may also brighten a person’s chances of warding off heart disease, new studies indicate.
The findings stem from research linking consumption of fruits and vegetables to heart health. Since oxidation fosters artery-clogging atherosclerosis and fruits and veggies serve up a bounty of antioxidant carotenoids, these pigments made promising candidates for prevention of heart disease.
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