What Does It Mean If Your Carotene Is High?

November 19, 2025 •

3 min read

According to dermatologists, a condition known as carotenemia, where the skin turns a temporary yellowish-orange, is a surprisingly common and harmless result of elevated carotene levels. It is primarily caused by an excessive intake of fruits and vegetables rich in carotene, the pigment found in orange and yellow produce. While it is typically not a cause for concern, understanding what it means if your carotene is high can help you differentiate it from more serious medical conditions.

Quick Summary

High carotene levels, medically termed carotenemia, usually result in a harmless yellow-orange skin discoloration from excessive consumption of carotene-rich foods. The condition is benign and reversible by reducing dietary intake. It is important to distinguish it from jaundice, a more serious condition, by checking if the whites of the eyes are spared.

Key Points

Skin Discoloration: High carotene levels, or carotenemia, cause a benign yellow-orange discoloration of the skin, called carotenoderma, especially visible on the palms and soles.
Dietary Cause: The most common reason is excessive intake of carotene-rich foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens.
Jaundice Differentiation: Unlike jaundice, carotenemia does not affect the whites of the eyes (sclera), which is a key distinguishing feature.
Reversible Condition: Diet-induced carotenemia is harmless and resolves when the consumption of carotene-rich foods is reduced, though it may take several weeks to months.
Underlying Medical Conditions: In rare cases, high carotene can indicate metabolic issues such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, or liver and kidney diseases.
Supplement Caution: High-dose beta-carotene supplements carry risks, particularly for smokers and asbestos-exposed individuals, and should be avoided.
No Vitamin A Toxicity: The body regulates the conversion of beta-carotene from food into vitamin A, so dietary excess does not cause vitamin A poisoning.

Understanding Carotenemia: A Common and Benign Condition

Carotenemia, or hypercarotenemia, is the medical term for high levels of carotene in the blood, leading to a yellow-orange pigmentation of the skin known as carotenoderma. This condition is usually a harmless side effect of a diet rich in certain fruits and vegetables, rather than a sign of serious illness. The excess carotene pigment is stored in the skin and fat because the body can't metabolize a high volume efficiently. Discoloration is often most visible in areas with thicker skin, such as the palms, soles, and nasolabial folds.

The Most Common Cause: Dietary Intake

Eating too many carotene-rich foods is the most frequent cause of high carotene levels. Carotene gives many plants their orange, yellow, and red colors. Cooking or pureeing these foods, like in baby food, can increase carotene absorption, making the effect more noticeable. This is why infants and young children, as well as vegetarians, vegans, and those on specific high-produce diets, are often affected.

Foods high in carotene include:

Carrots and carrot juice
Sweet potatoes
Pumpkin and winter squash
Spinach and kale
Apricots, mangoes, and papaya
Red and yellow bell peppers
Broccoli
Tomatoes

Other Potential, Raper Causes

While diet is the main cause, high carotene levels can sometimes be linked to medical conditions affecting the body's ability to metabolize and convert carotene to vitamin A. In these cases, the issue is impaired processing rather than excessive intake.

Hypothyroidism: Can slow metabolism, including carotene conversion.
Diabetes Mellitus: May alter metabolism leading to higher carotene.
Liver Disease: Can impair carotene conversion.
Kidney Disease: May decrease carotene excretion.
Anorexia Nervosa: Often associated with hypercarotenemia, possibly due to reduced vitamin A needs or a metabolic defect.

Distinguishing Carotenemia from Jaundice

A yellow skin tone can also be a sign of jaundice, a more serious condition related to liver or gallbladder problems. It's vital to tell the difference.


Feature	Carotenemia (High Carotene)	Jaundice (High Bilirubin)
Skin Color	Yellow-orange, prominent on palms/soles.	More uniform yellow to greenish-yellow.
Sclera (Whites of Eyes)	Always white.	Turns yellow.
Causes	Diet or certain metabolic issues.	Liver/gallbladder issues, blood disorders.
Associated Symptoms	Usually none, besides skin color.	May include fever, fatigue, nausea, pain.
Underlying Issue	Benign or metabolic issue.	Serious medical condition.

The Reversible Nature and Outlook

Diet-induced carotenemia is harmless and resolves with less intake of carotene-rich foods. There is no risk of vitamin A toxicity from dietary beta-carotene because the body carefully regulates its conversion to vitamin A. The skin color will gradually fade over several weeks to months as the stored carotene is cleared. If high carotene is due to an underlying medical issue, treating that condition will resolve the carotenemia. A healthcare provider can help determine the cause and provide reassurance.

Potential Risks with Beta-Carotene Supplements

While beta-carotene from food is safe, high-dose supplements pose risks for some. Studies link high-dose supplements to increased lung cancer risk in smokers, former smokers, and those exposed to asbestos. Health authorities recommend getting carotene from food rather than supplements.

Conclusion

High carotene, leading to carotenemia, is typically a benign result of a diet rich in colorful vegetables and fruits. The main sign is reversible yellow-orange skin, distinct from jaundice because the whites of the eyes remain white. Reducing carotene-rich foods is the only necessary step for diet-related cases. Rarely, high carotene may signal an underlying metabolic issue, highlighting the need for medical evaluation if not diet-related. Enjoying colorful produce is healthy, and for most, the worst outcome of overindulgence is harmless, temporary skin discoloration.

Key Medical Guidelines

For more information on vitamin A and carotenoids from a health professional perspective, visit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary sign of high carotene levels, or carotenemia, is a yellow-orange pigmentation of the skin, particularly noticeable on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

For most people, high carotene levels are not dangerous and are simply the harmless result of eating too many carotene-rich foods. It is a benign condition that resolves with dietary changes.

The main way to differentiate carotenemia from jaundice is by checking the eyes. In carotenemia, the whites of the eyes (sclera) remain white, whereas in jaundice, they turn yellow.

High carotene levels are most often caused by excessive consumption of foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mangoes, spinach, and kale.

After reducing the intake of carotene-rich foods, it can take several weeks to a few months for the skin discoloration to fade completely, as the body gradually clears the excess pigment.

Yes, while rare, high carotene can sometimes be associated with underlying medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, liver disease, or kidney problems.

It is very common for infants and toddlers to develop carotenemia from pureed baby foods rich in carrots and squash. The condition is harmless and will resolve as their diet becomes more varied.