CAROTENOIDS 



conversion of carotene into vitamin A is impaired in diabetics. ' •■ • ^ 

 Recent extensive studies have shown that this assumption is not 

 warranted. 8 2-85 'pj^g j^^gj^ carotene blood levels that are often found 

 in diabetics are, in all probability, the result of high carotene 

 intake associated with a typical diabetic diet ; when a large enough 

 " sample " of diabetics was examined the scatter in the carotene 

 plasma levels was normal. ^ " A recent interesting report which still 

 requires confirmation is that which states that although the plasma 

 carotene levels of diabetics respond normally to the presence or 

 absence of carotene in the diet, the response of those patients which 

 are insulin sensitive is much greater. ^ ^ 



Conditions associated with hyperlipaemia are often also charac- 

 terized by carotenaemia. ® ' Although carotenoid plasma levels in sick 

 humans are often not very different from normal, « »• « a they are 



100 



Shr. of f ever at 

 105- 5° or 106° 



• 6hr. of fever ac /06^ 



• 3hr of fever at 106" 



Days 



Fig. 30. — Illustrating the effect of fever on the carotene content of human blood. 

 {After Aron, H. C. S., Craig, R. M.. Farmer, C. }., Kendell, H. W., and Schwen- 

 lein, G. X. {1945) Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 61, 271). 



234 



