{
  "slug": "carotenoids",
  "name": "Carotenoids (family · 8 core compounds)",
  "alternate_names": [
    "Xanthophyll",
    "Carotene",
    "Tetraterpenoid"
  ],
  "mechanism": [
    "Singlet oxygen quenching",
    "Antioxidant cascade",
    "BCO1/BCO2 metabolism",
    "Provitamin A activity (β-carotene · α-carotene)",
    "Macular pigment density"
  ],
  "target": [
    "Reactive oxygen species",
    "Macular tissue",
    "BCO1 SNP-modified metabolism"
  ],
  "use_case": [
    "eye-protection",
    "skin health",
    "antioxidant cluster framing"
  ],
  "body_system": [
    "VISION",
    "SKIN",
    "CARDIO",
    "IMMUNE"
  ],
  "evidence_tier": "A",
  "evidence_anchor_pmid_count": 97,
  "evidence_long_form_url": "https://asxan.ai/blog/natural-vs-synthetic-astaxanthin-evidence-comparison/",
  "dosage_range": "Compound-specific (see ingredient hub) · CARET/ATBC smoker β-carotene safety boundary applies",
  "safety_notes": "CARET 1996 / ATBC 1994 β-carotene + smokers lung cancer +18-28%; SELECT vit E + selenium prostate +17%; AREDS2 transitioned away from β-carotene to lutein+zeaxanthin in 2013",
  "regulatory": {
    "fda": "GRAS for nutritional carotenoids; warning labels for smokers on β-carotene",
    "efsa": "Authorized claim for vitamin A (β-carotene precursor)",
    "anvisa": "RDC 243/2018 · IN 28/2018 vitamin A precursor claims"
  },
  "ingredient_hub_url": "https://asxan.ai/ingredients/carotenoids/",
  "related_goal_slugs": [
    "eye-protection",
    "skin-beauty",
    "heart-health",
    "inflammation-relief"
  ],
  "related_lifestyle_slugs": [
    "senior-60-plus",
    "pregnancy"
  ],
  "last_evidence_review": "2026-05-24",
  "schema_version": "nc-public-v0.1"
}