Major food sources of beta-carotene are the brightly colored orange vegetables and fruits as well as dark green leafy vegetables. Carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots, pumpkin, cantaloupe,mango, broccoli, spinach and collard greens are excellent sources. It can be found in carrots, pumpkin and carrot juice. These pigments filter out blue light which could damage the eye. People who eat a lot of spinach and leafy green vegetables have less risk for macular degeneration, a common cause of irreversible blindness in people over 65.
Studies show that a high intake of leafy green vegetables decrease the risk of cataracts.
Good sources for these two carotenoids are collard greens, swiss chard, mustard greens, red pepper, okra and romaine lettuce. Found in watermelon, guava, pink grapefruit, tomatoes, tomato sauces and juice. It has been found to reduce the risk of prostate cancer if consumed frequently. An Italian study also indicated frequent consumption of tomato products decreased the incidence of several forms of cancer. Found in papayas, oranges and tangerines.