Is your body blocking this cholesterol-lowering nutrient? Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene which the body converts into the essential nutrient vitamin A. But researchers studying the role of beta-carotene in lowering cholesterol levels identified an enzyme that’s necessary for this benefit — and some of us are missing out. That means you need to go about getting yours differently. That may be surprising because so many experts tell us that we should be able to get all the nutrients the human body requires by eating a whole food diet. These same experts will tell you that vitamin supplementation isn’t necessary. But what if your body just can’t convert the nutrients from food into the vitamin form your body needs?