beta-caroteno

Reported Uses

• NOTE: see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table
• abdominal aortic aneurysm [Possibly Ineffective]
• age-related macular degeneration [Insufficient Evidence]
• aging skin [Insufficient Evidence]
• Alzheimer dz [Possibly Ineffective]
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [Insufficient Evidence]
• anxiety [Insufficient Evidence]
• asthma, exercise-induced [Insufficient Evidence]
• asthma prevention [Insufficient Evidence]
• cancer prevention [Likely Ineffective]
• cancer prevention, breast [Possibly Effective]
• cancer prevention, colorectal [Likely Ineffective]
• cancer prevention, esophageal [Possibly Ineffective]
• cancer prevention, gastric [Insufficient Evidence]
• cancer prevention, liver [Possibly Ineffective]
• cancer prevention, lung [Likely Ineffective]
• cancer prevention, ovarian [Insufficient Evidence]
• cancer prevention, pancreatic [Insufficient Evidence]
• cancer prevention, prostate [Likely Ineffective]
• cardiovascular dz prevention [Likely Ineffective]
• cataracts [Possibly Ineffective]
• cognitive function [Insufficient Evidence]
• COPD [Insufficient Evidence]
• coronary heart dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• cystic fibrosis [Possibly Ineffective]
• depression [Insufficient Evidence]
• diabetes mellitus, type 2 [Possibly Ineffective]
• dysplastic nevi [Possibly Ineffective]
• erythropoietic protoporphyria [Effective]
• fracture prevention [Insufficient Evidence]
• H. pylori infection [Insufficient Evidence]
• hearing loss [Insufficient Evidence]
• HIV/AIDS [Insufficient Evidence]
• IBS [Insufficient Evidence]
• infant development [Insufficient Evidence]
• influenza [Insufficient Evidence]
• liver dz [Possibly Ineffective]
• nonalcoholic fatty liver dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• oral leukoplakia [Insufficient Evidence]
• oral mucositis [Insufficient Evidence]
• osteoarthritis [Insufficient Evidence]
• osteoporosis [Insufficient Evidence]
• overall mortality [Possibly Ineffective]
• Parkinson dz [Insufficient Evidence]
• physical performance [Insufficient Evidence]
• polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) [Insufficient Evidence]
• postpartum complications [Possibly Effective]
• pre-eclampsia [Insufficient Evidence]
• stroke [Possibly Ineffective]
• sunburn [Possibly Effective]

Reported Doses

Safety/efficacy may not be established; reported doses may be derived from limited or potentially inadequate studies w/ variable regimens, multi-ingredient products, or where concentration of active ingredients may vary widely

Effectiveness Ratings

[see Herb & Supplement Effectiveness Rating Definitions table]

age-related macular degeneration

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 15 mg PO qd

aging skin

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 30 mg PO qd

asthma, exercise-induced

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 64 mg PO qd

cancer prevention, gastric

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 15-30 mg PO pd

cognitive function

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 50 mg PO qod

coronary heart dz

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 5 mg PO qd

erythropoietic protoporphyria

[Effective]

Dose: 60-90 mg PO qd up to max 150 mg/day in pts 1-4 yo; 90-120 mg PO qd up to max 180 mg/day in pts 5-8 yo; 120-150 mg PO qd up to max 210 mg/day in pts 9-12 yo; 150-180 mg PO qd up to max 240 mg/day in pts 13-15 yo; 180 mg PO qd up to max 300 mg/day in pts 16 yo and older

hearing loss

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 26,000 IU PO bid; Info: used w/ standard tx

HIV/AIDS

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 180 mg PO qd

IBS

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 4-4.5 mg PO qd; Info: used w/ L. brevis

influenza

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 7.4-12.4 mg PO qd; Info: used w/ L. brevis KB290

oral leukoplakia

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 60-360 mg PO qd

polymorphous light eruption (PMLE)

[Insufficient Evidence]

Dose: 50-100 mg PO x1, then 25 mg PO qd; Alt: 250 mg PO qd

postpartum complications

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 42 mg PO qwk; Info: give before, during, and after pregnancy

sunburn

[Possibly Effective]

Dose: 24-25 mg PO qd