Carotenoids have also been found to act as free radical scavengers,
reducing lipid oxidation reactions in certain model systems
(Haila et al., 1997). Beta-carotene has been proposed to aid
in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, possibly by protecting
LDL cholesterol from oxidation or by reducing platelet aggregation
(Gaziano and Hennekens, 1993), which would likely
be due to the radical scavenging capacity of this compound.