Loading up carotenoids—a class of antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables—could help lower your risk of metabolic syndrome, according to a recent study. Increasingly common in the U.S., metabolic syndrome is characterized by a cluster of health problems (including excess belly fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and inflammation) linked to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes

For the study, researchers measured carotenoid intake among 374 men (ages 40 to 80), 22 percent of whom had metabolic syndrome. Results showed that higher total carotenoid consumption was associated with smaller waistlines and less abdominal fat. The study's authors also found that higher intake of lycopene (a carotenoid found in tomatoes, watermelon, and red grapefruit) was linked to lower levels of harmful blood fats.

To boost your carotenoid intake, fill up on foods like carrots, spinach, sweet potato, red peppers, tomatoes, kale, collards, pumpkin, and papaya.

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