Beta-Cryptoxanthin
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Beta-Cryptoxanthin (Beta-cryptoxanthin) is a dietary supplement with 9 published peer-reviewed studies involving 8,500 participants, researched for Bone Health & Osteoporosis Prevention, Anti-inflammatory & Metabolic Effects, Cancer Prevention and 1 more areas.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Bone Health & Osteoporosis Prevention
ModerateAnti-inflammatory & Metabolic Effects
ModerateCancer Prevention
ModerateProvitamin A & Metabolic Conversion
ModerateResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Bone Health & Osteoporosis Prevention
To investigate the association between dietary beta-cryptoxanthin intake and bone mineral density.
Study Type
Prospective cohort
Purpose
To investigate the association between dietary beta-cryptoxanthin intake and bone mineral density.
Dose
Dietary intake (observational)
Participants
3600 post-menopausal women in the Framingham study
Duration
4 years follow-up
Results
Higher beta-cryptoxanthin intake associated with 40% lower risk of hip fracture and significantly higher femoral neck BMD.
How They Measured It
DXA bone mineral density; dietary assessment by FFQ
To examine whether beta-cryptoxanthin promotes bone formation and prevents osteoporosis in ovariectomised rats.
Study Type
Animal study
Purpose
To examine whether beta-cryptoxanthin promotes bone formation and prevents osteoporosis in ovariectomised rats.
Dose
5-20 mg/kg beta-cryptoxanthin
Participants
Ovariectomised rat model
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Beta-cryptoxanthin significantly prevented bone loss, increased bone formation markers, and stimulated osteoblast differentiation.
How They Measured It
Bone mineral density, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, bone histomorphometry
To assess the relationship between serum beta-cryptoxanthin and bone turnover markers in older adults.
Study Type
Cross-sectional study
Purpose
To assess the relationship between serum beta-cryptoxanthin and bone turnover markers in older adults.
Dose
Observational
Participants
900 adults aged 50-75
Duration
Cross-sectional
Results
Higher serum beta-cryptoxanthin significantly associated with lower bone resorption markers and higher bone formation markers.
How They Measured It
Serum CTx, osteocalcin, P1NP; serum beta-cryptoxanthin by HPLC
Anti-inflammatory & Metabolic Effects
To evaluate serum beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations and markers of systemic inflammation.
Study Type
Cross-sectional epidemiological
Purpose
To evaluate serum beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations and markers of systemic inflammation.
Dose
Dietary intake (observational)
Participants
2500 adults in NHANES cohort
Duration
Cross-sectional
Results
Serum beta-cryptoxanthin in the highest quartile associated with 35% lower odds of elevated CRP vs lowest quartile.
How They Measured It
Serum hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha; serum carotenoid panel
To investigate anti-inflammatory signalling pathways activated by beta-cryptoxanthin.
Study Type
In vitro mechanistic study
Purpose
To investigate anti-inflammatory signalling pathways activated by beta-cryptoxanthin.
Dose
0.1-10 µM
Participants
Human macrophage cell line (THP-1)
Duration
24-hour treatment
Results
Beta-cryptoxanthin suppressed NF-kB activation and significantly reduced IL-1beta and TNF-alpha secretion in LPS-stimulated macrophages.
How They Measured It
NF-kB luciferase reporter, cytokine ELISA, Western blot
Cancer Prevention
To investigate dietary beta-cryptoxanthin and lung cancer risk.
Study Type
Prospective cohort
Purpose
To investigate dietary beta-cryptoxanthin and lung cancer risk.
Dose
Dietary intake (observational)
Participants
500+ lung cancer cases vs matched controls from 60,000-person cohort
Duration
10 years follow-up
Results
High dietary beta-cryptoxanthin associated with 36% reduced risk of lung cancer; strongest protection in smokers.
How They Measured It
Cancer registry linkage; dietary assessment by FFQ
To pool epidemiological evidence on beta-cryptoxanthin and cancer risk.
Study Type
Meta-analysis
Purpose
To pool epidemiological evidence on beta-cryptoxanthin and cancer risk.
Dose
Dietary exposure (observational)
Participants
Multiple cohort studies
Duration
Review
Results
Pooled RR for lung cancer 0.70 (95% CI 0.60-0.82) for highest vs lowest beta-cryptoxanthin intake. Protective effect also noted for prostate and colon cancer.
How They Measured It
Meta-analysis of prospective cohorts
Provitamin A & Metabolic Conversion
To assess the bioavailability and vitamin A conversion efficiency of beta-cryptoxanthin from citrus sources.
Study Type
Metabolic study
Purpose
To assess the bioavailability and vitamin A conversion efficiency of beta-cryptoxanthin from citrus sources.
Dose
6 mg beta-cryptoxanthin from mandarin juice
Participants
12 healthy adults
Duration
Single dose pharmacokinetics over 4 weeks
Results
Beta-cryptoxanthin converted to retinol with efficiency ~2.4x higher than beta-carotene on a weight basis; good bioavailability from food matrix.
How They Measured It
Isotope-labelled stable tracer; serum retinol conversion coefficient
To review the pleiotropic health effects of beta-cryptoxanthin beyond provitamin A activity.
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To review the pleiotropic health effects of beta-cryptoxanthin beyond provitamin A activity.
Dose
Varied
Participants
Multiple studies reviewed
Duration
Review
Results
Beta-cryptoxanthin exhibits bone-promoting, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, and cancer-preventive effects independent of vitamin A conversion.
How They Measured It
Systematic literature synthesis
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Beta-Cryptoxanthin research
There are currently 9 peer-reviewed studies on Beta-Cryptoxanthin (Beta-cryptoxanthin), involving 8,500 total participants. Research covers Bone health, Anti-inflammatory, Cancer prevention and 1 more areas. The overall evidence strength is rated as Moderate.
The evidence is currently rated as "Moderate Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (5 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Beta-Cryptoxanthin has been researched for: Bone health, Anti-inflammatory, Cancer prevention, Lung health. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 5 out of 9 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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