Hypovitaminosis A causes xerophthalmia, blindness and death in thousands of children throughout the world and constitutes one of the main nutritional problems in the populations of developing countries, including Brazil. Although fruits and vegetables, sources of carotenoids, are widely available in Brazil, hypovitaminosis A constitutes a serious public health problem. The lack of information available to the population about the dietary sources of carotenoids and factors affecting their bioavailability, known in the literature as SLAMENGHI, are possible causes associated with this contradiction. Current carotenoid conversion factors to retinol are higher than earlier ones. This suggests a reduced effectiveness in the conversion of carotenoids into the active form of vitamin A, questioning the role of carotenoids in combating hypovitaminosis A. The aim of this review is to discuss the bioavailability of carotenoids and their food sources in order to better assess the possibility of using these pigments to combat hypovitaminosis A.
carotenoids; biological vailability; hypovitaminosis A
