What is beta-carotene broken down into?
                                
                                
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                                    5 min read                                
                            
                                Approximately 30% of the dietary vitamin A in Western countries comes from beta-carotene, a vibrant plant pigment found in many fruits and vegetables. This provitamin, which gives foods like carrots and sweet potatoes their color, is not used by the body directly but must be converted into the essential nutrient vitamin A (retinol) through a carefully regulated metabolic process.