Carotenoids are also known for their health benefits
Some of
them, the provitamin A carotenoids, are a safe source of vitamin A since they
convert into vitamin A only when body stores are low. It naturally limits
further increases in storage levels. A very promising aspect of carotenoids is
their ability in the human body to prevent damage caused by free radicals.
There is much epidemiological evidence that carotenoids may help in the
prevention of certain degenerative diseases.
We were the first to synthetise commercial quantities of carotenoids
starting with the production of ß-carotene in 1954. Today DSM Nutritional
Products produces carotenoids for use in cosmetics, animal and human nutrition
and health. Most of these are nature-identical, which means that their
chemical structures and properties cannot be distinguished from the
carotenoids found in plants or animals.
