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Beta-carotene is the orange-yellow carotenoid pigment in sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash, dark leafy greens and cantaloupe, and the body converts it into vitamin A as needed. From food, it is a normal part of a healthy diet; a single baked sweet potato supplies more than the Daily Value for vitamin A in USDA data. Supplements are a different story. Two large trials found that beta-carotene pills raised lung cancer risk in smokers, and US expert bodies now advise against beta-carotene supplements for the general population. Below: a USDA chart of beta-carotene foods, how beta-carotene vs vitamin A works, what the trials found, and who should check their labels.
Peptide Labs does not sell beta-carotene supplements. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin, carrots, spinach and butternut squash top the USDA chart per serving.
- Beta-carotene is provitamin A: the body converts it, and food beta-carotene counts as one-twelfth as much vitamin A by weight.
- Cooking and a little fat make beta-carotene from vegetables easier to absorb.
- In the ATBC and CARET trials, beta-carotene supplements increased lung cancer in smokers and asbestos-exposed workers.
- The USPSTF recommends against beta-carotene supplements to prevent heart disease or cancer.
- Too much from food can tint the skin yellow-orange, a harmless condition called carotenodermia.
Beta-carotene foods: USDA chart
Values come from the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy database, converted to common servings and shown in milligrams. The vitamin A column is the percent Daily Value (%DV) based on USDA’s vitamin A figure for each food, which also counts related carotenoids such as alpha-carotene. A food with 20% DV or more per serving is a high source.
| Food (USDA description, shortened) | Serving | Beta-carotene per serving, milligrams | Vitamin A, % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet potato, baked, flesh | 1 medium (114 g) | 13.1 | 122% |
| Pumpkin, canned | 1/2 cup (123 g) | 8.5 | 106% |
| Carrots, boiled | 1/2 cup (78 g) | 6.5 | 74% |
| Spinach, boiled | 1/2 cup (90 g) | 5.7 | 52% |
| Carrot, raw | 1 medium (61 g) | 5.1 | 57% |
| Butternut squash, baked | 1/2 cup (103 g) | 4.7 | 64% |
| Collard greens, boiled | 1/2 cup (95 g) | 4.3 | 40% |
| Turnip greens, boiled | 1/2 cup (72 g) | 3.3 | 30% |
| Cantaloupe, raw | 1 cup cubes (160 g) | 3.2 | 30% |
| Romaine lettuce, raw | 1 cup shredded (47 g) | 2.5 | 23% |
| Kale, boiled | 1 cup (118 g) | 2.0 | 19% |
| Red bell pepper, raw | 1/2 cup (75 g) | 1.2 | 13% |
| Mango, raw | 1 cup (165 g) | 1.1 | 10% |
| Green peas, frozen, boiled | 1/2 cup (80 g) | 1.0 | 9% |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1/2 cup (78 g) | 0.7 | 7% |
| Dried apricots | 1/4 cup (33 g) | 0.7 | 7% |
| Paprika | 1 tsp (2 g) | 0.6 | 6% |
Carrots and canned pumpkin score higher on vitamin A than their beta-carotene alone suggests because they are also rich in alpha-carotene, another provitamin A carotenoid. Green vegetables such as spinach, collards and kale contain plenty of beta-carotene; the green chlorophyll simply hides the orange. Tomatoes, by contrast, are colored mostly by lycopene, which the body cannot turn into vitamin A; see our lycopene guide.
Beta-carotene vs vitamin A
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) describes two dietary sources of vitamin A. Preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters) comes from animal foods such as liver, fish, eggs and dairy, and from fortified foods and many supplements. Provitamin A carotenoids, mainly beta-carotene, come from plants and are converted to vitamin A in the intestine by an enzyme called BCMO1. How efficiently people convert beta-carotene varies, partly because of genetics.
- Conversion: labels measure vitamin A in retinol activity equivalents (RAE). By that yardstick, ODS says it takes 12 units of beta-carotene from food, or 2 units from supplements, to equal 1 unit of retinol.
- Absorption: the body may absorb 75% to 100% of retinol but in most cases only 10% to 30% of the beta-carotene in foods.
- Who gets what: in the US and other high-income countries, 65% to 80% of vitamin A comes from preformed vitamin A. Fewer than 1% of Americans have low blood retinol, so true vitamin A deficiency is rare here.
- Upper limits: the Tolerable Upper Intake Level for vitamin A applies only to preformed vitamin A. The Food and Nutrition Board has not set an upper limit for beta-carotene.
- Pregnancy: too much preformed vitamin A can cause birth defects, while ODS says beta-carotene is not known to do so. Ask your OB-GYN about any supplement.
Getting more beta-carotene from vegetables
ODS notes that cooking and heating can increase how much beta-carotene the body gets from food, which is why boiled carrots edge out raw ones per gram in the chart. The Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) adds that carotenoids need some fat in the meal to be absorbed, and that chopping, pureeing and cooking in oil generally help. Roasted squash with olive oil, sauteed greens or carrot soup are all simple ways to put that into practice.
Beta-carotene benefits: what the research found
Beta-carotene’s main established role is as a source of vitamin A. Observational studies have linked diets rich in fruits, vegetables and carotenoids with lower rates of some cancers, but ODS notes that other observational studies found no such links. The real test came when researchers gave people beta-carotene as a supplement in large randomized trials, and the results were not what anyone expected.
| Trial | Who took part | What was tested | Main finding (per ODS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATBC, Finland | 29,133 male smokers, age 50 to 69 | Beta-carotene and/or vitamin E vs placebo, 5 to 8 years | 18% more lung cancer and 8% higher death rate with beta-carotene |
| CARET, US | 18,314 current and former smokers and asbestos-exposed men | Beta-carotene plus retinyl palmitate vs placebo | Stopped early: 28% more lung cancer, 46% more lung cancer deaths |
| Physicians' Health Study | 22,071 male physicians | Beta-carotene vs placebo, 12 years | No difference in lung cancer, any cancer or cancer deaths |
| Women's trial | 7,627 women | Beta-carotene, vitamin E or vitamin C vs placebo | No effect on total cancer incidence or cancer deaths |
| AREDS2 | 4,203 adults age 50 to 85 with eye disease risk | Eye formula with or without beta-carotene | Beta-carotene not needed for the eye benefit; more lung cancers, mostly in former smokers |
ATBC and CARET: the smoker trials
In the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) study, long-term male smokers in Finland took beta-carotene, vitamin E, both, or a placebo. Those given beta-carotene had 18% more lung cancer and an 8% higher overall death rate, mainly from lung cancer and heart disease. The US CARET trial, which combined beta-carotene with preformed vitamin A in smokers, former smokers and asbestos-exposed workers, was stopped early after an average of four years: lung cancer risk was 28% higher, lung cancer deaths 46% higher and deaths from any cause 17% higher. LPI adds that the increases were larger in people who drank more alcohol. Trials with fewer smokers did not raise the same concern, and ODS concludes that among nonsmokers, beta-carotene supplements do not appear to affect cancer risk either way.
Eye health and AREDS
The original Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formula included beta-carotene and lowered the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in people already at high risk. Its successor, AREDS2, showed beta-carotene was not a required ingredient and found more lung cancers in the beta-carotene group, mostly among former smokers, so the current formula uses lutein and zeaxanthin instead. Our lutein guide covers that formula. If you have or are developing AMD, the choice of eye supplement is a conversation for your eye doctor.
Beta-carotene supplements: who should be cautious
ODS reports that the Food and Nutrition Board advises against beta-carotene supplements for the general population, except as a source of vitamin A for people who need it. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) went further in 2022 and recommended against beta-carotene supplements for preventing heart disease or cancer in nonpregnant adults. Practical points:
- Smokers and former smokers, and people with asbestos exposure, are the groups in which harm was seen. Check every label, including multivitamins and eye formulas, and ask your clinician.
- Read the vitamin A line: many multivitamins show what share of vitamin A comes from beta-carotene. Our guides to the multivitamin for men and multivitamin for women explain how to read those panels.
- Orlistat users: ODS says orlistat can lower absorption of beta-carotene and other fat-soluble vitamins, and its makers recommend a multivitamin; see our alli and orlistat guide.
- Quality: if a clinician suggests a supplement, our third-party testing guide explains independent seals.
Beta-carotene side effects: carotenodermia
ODS says the most common effect of long-term, excess beta-carotene is carotenodermia, a harmless condition in which the skin turns yellow-orange. It is different from vitamin A toxicity, which comes from preformed vitamin A. Any yellowing of the eyes should be checked promptly by a clinician, because it has other causes. You will also see beta-carotene in ingredient lists purely as a color: the FDA permits it for coloring foods generally, so its presence on a label does not always mean a meaningful amount of vitamin A.
Frequently Asked Questions
What foods are high in beta-carotene?
In USDA data, baked sweet potatoes, canned pumpkin, carrots, spinach, butternut squash, collards, turnip greens, cantaloupe and romaine lettuce lead per serving.
Is beta-carotene the same as vitamin A?
No. Beta-carotene is provitamin A, which the body converts to vitamin A. Preformed vitamin A comes from animal foods, fortified foods and many supplements.
Can you get too much beta-carotene from food?
Large amounts can cause carotenodermia, a harmless yellow-orange skin tint. No upper limit has been set for beta-carotene.
Why are beta-carotene supplements a concern for smokers?
In the ATBC and CARET trials, beta-carotene supplements increased lung cancer in smokers and asbestos-exposed workers. Smokers should ask a clinician before using any product that contains it.
Does cooking destroy beta-carotene?
Cooking tends to make it more available. ODS says heating can increase how much beta-carotene the body gets from food.
Do I need a beta-carotene supplement?
Most Americans do not; vitamin A deficiency is rare in the US. Expert bodies advise against beta-carotene supplements for the general population, so ask your clinician.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you smoke or used to, take medicines, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.