AUTUMN, A GREAT SOURCE OF BETA CAROTENE

Autumn has nothing to envy to the colorful fruits and vegetables of the summer. Warm colors – orange, red and earth tones – fill the new season and enjoying its vegetables is a joy for our organism and also for our palate.
In this post we are going to focus on those with an orange hue, an unequivocal sign of their richness in beta carotene.

What beta carotene is and which benefits provides us with?

Beta carotene is a precursor pigment for vitamin A. This means that our liver processes and converts it into vitamin A, but only when our body needs its contribution. That is the way our organism avoids the excess of this vitamin.
Vitamin A is recognized for being a powerful antioxidant and for helping to improve our immune system. In this way, food rich in betacarotene gives us vitality and increases our defenses, being a perfect partner when thermometers begins to drop.
Vitamin C is also usually recurrent in vegetables with this colorful coverage.

Where we can find beta carotene at this time of year

– Sweet potato: in addition to its high antioxidant content, it stands out for its high energy intake. Its sweet flavor makes it perfect cut into strips in the oven as ‘chips’ as a carbohydrate garnish or in pastry preparations. Try them roasted with mushrooms and chestnuts.
– Pumpkin: it is very rich in vitamin A and C and minerals such as magnesium or zinc. Its versatility allows it to be used in sweet and savory recipes, such as in this Violin Pumpkin Cream with squid and prawns or in elaborations steeped in history and tradition, such as Alboronía de Carmona with egg.
– Persimmon: its juicy and fleshy pulp also provide us with iron and soluble fiber, among others. Sweet formulas are not the only ones to savor it, try combining it with cheese, yogurt or as a complement to your salads, it will surprise you.
– Mandarin: in autumn the first mandarins begin to arrive, with a higher value in beta carotene than the rest of citrus fruits. They are also filled with water, fiber or citric acid.

In addition to carrots – available all year round – there are many other foods that nourish our body with this pigment, for example, those with green leaves (spinach, green beans, asparagus, lettuce or broccoli).