31.   During digestion, beta carotene is converted to vitamin A, a nutrient necessary for proper bone growth, healthy skin and hair, tooth development and eyesight.

32.   Eating vegetables and fruits rich in beta carotene, however, has been shown to reduce cancer and heart disease, even though taking supplements has not.

33.   Even if beta carotene turns out to be of primary importance, it might have to be consumed with other carotenoids to be effective.

34.   For those who do, the researchers said, the requirement can be met by beta carotene, which is not toxic.

35.   For decades, the main interest in beta carotene had been in its role as a parent compound for vitamin A.

36.   Generally speaking, the deeper the orange color, the greater the amount of beta carotene.

37.   Goodman is involved in one such study, called CARET, that is searching for a protective effect of beta carotene in smokers and asbestos workers.

38.   He found that not only were beta carotene supplements ineffective but they actually increased the risk of lung cancer in smokers.

39.   He and his team had been studying daffodils for more than a decade, and he knew about the genes that produced beta carotene.

40.   How and why is natural beta carotene better for us than the artificial or supplemental kinds?