The health administrators of the Caribbean region
are concerned with the rise of iron-deficiency anemia in
pregnant women and school-aged children due to inad-
equateironintake and poor absorption. The increased
incidence of diabetes,hypertension,coronary heart dis-
ease,cancer,andobesity, especially in the thirty-five-
and-over age group, is thought to be directly linked to
the existing lifestyle and dietary practices of the islanders.
The Caribbean Islands have seen a proliferation
of fast-food restaurants, and the increased consump-
tion of meals high in fat, sugar, and salt has contrib-
uted to the increase in chronic diseases. In addition,
there has been a reductionin the amount of cereals,
grains, fruits, vegetables, tubers, and legumes that are
eaten. The popularity of fast foods among the young
has led the government to focus on improving nutri-
tion in the schools. Also contributing to the health
problems is the dependency on costly imported proc-
essed foods that do the body harm. Overconsumption
of imported foods high in fat andsodiumhas led to a
deterioration of the health status of people through-
out the region, with an increase in health problems
such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascu-
lar disease, and cancer.Resources
BOOKS
‘‘Assessing Dietary Trends in the Caribbean’’ (1998).Caja-
nus, the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Quarterly31(4).
Campbell, Versada (1988).Caribbean Foodways. Kingston,
Jamaica: Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute.
‘‘Food Consumption Issues and Trends’’ (2000).Cajanus,
the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Quarterly33(1).
‘‘Food Marketing Trends’’ (2000).Cajanus, the Caribbean
Food and Nutrition Quarterly33(4).
Forrester, Clare (1999). ‘‘Selling Nutrition Behavior.’’Caja-
nus, the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Quarterly32(1).
Kutler, Pamela Goyan, and Sucher, Kathryn P. (2000).Food
and Culture, 3rd edition, New York: Thomson
Learning.
McIntosh, E. Curtis (2000). ‘‘Food, Nutrition, and Health
for National Development.’’Cajanus, the Caribbean
Food and Nutrition Quarterly33(4).
Prasad, P. V. Devi (1986).Edible Fruits and Vegetables of the
English-Speaking Caribbean. Kingston, Jamaica: Car-
ibbean Food and Nutrition Institute.
Sheridan, Richard B. (1974)Sugar and Slavery. Johns Hop-
kins University Press.
Stein-Barer, Thelma (1999).You Eat What You Are: People,
Culture, and Food Tradition, 2nd edition. Toronto:
Firefly.
OTHER
Pan American Health Organization.<http://www.paho.org>Paulette Sinclair-WeirCarotenoids
Definition
Carotenoids are fat-soluble plant pigments, some
of which are important to human health. The most
common carotenoids in the diet of North Americans
are alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin,
lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene.Purpose
The role carotenoids play in human health is not
well understood. Carotenoids are antioxidants that
react with free radicals. Molecules called free radicals
form during normal cellmetabolismand with exposure
to ultraviolet light or toxins such as cigarette smoke.
Free radicals cause damage by reacting withfatsand
proteins in cell membranes and genetic material. This
process is called oxidation. Antioxidants are com-
pounds that attach themselves to free radicals so that
it is impossible for the free radical to react with, or
oxidize, other molecules. In this way, antioxidants
may protect cells from damage. Although carotenoids
have antioxidant activity in the laboratory, it is not
clear how much they function as antioxidants in the
body. Claims that carotenoids can protect againstcan-
cerand cardiovascular disease are primarily based on
their antioxidant properties.
One subgroup of carotenoids that includes alpha-
carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthine is
converted intovitamin A(retinol) by the body. Vitamin
A affects is important for maintaining good vision, a
healthy immune system, and strong bones. Vitamin A
also helps turn on and off certain genes (gene expres-
sion) during cell division and differentiation. The
degree to which this group of provitamin A carotenoids
is converted into vitamin A appears to depend on
whether or not the body is getting enough vitamin A
in other forms. Only 10% of all carotenoids can be
converted into vitamin A.Description
Carotenoids are highly colored red, orange, and
yellow pigments found in many vegetables. A German
scientist isolated the first carotenoid in 1826 from
carrots and named it beta-carotene. Since then, more
than 600 carotenoids have been identified in plants,
algae, fungi, and bacteria. Carotenoids must be dis-
solved in a small amount of fat to be absorbed from
the intestine.Dietary supplementsof carotenoids con-
tain oil, which makes them more readily available to
the body than carotenoids in food. Carotenoids inCarotenoids