Carotenoids in diabetes, retinopathy, and cardiovascular risk

Abstract Diabetes, retinopathy, and cardiovascular diseases are alarmingly increasing day by day due to malnutrition and unhealthy lifestyle. Dietary life style may be the initial step for prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Some other factors are also associated with life style like physical exercises, daily intake of vegetable, fruit, cereal, omega-3 fats, and tobacco and alcohol consumption. It is a common quote that eats healthy to stay healthy. Same is suggested by scientific data that carotenoids are important in the prevention of these diseases because of antioxidant and antiinflammatory action. Carotenoids have been proved by epidemiological studies to be protective against cardiovascular disease. All these reports need in vitro and intervention studies in well-controlled conditions so that these results will be more valid. Mixed results have been reported from interventional trials with some positive and many insignificant outcomes. These discoveries also recommended some harm in certain high-risk populations. The objective of this chapter is to summarize the writings accessible about the consumption of carotenoids in the management of cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, and diabetes.