Fast
facts on carrots:
Here are some key points about carrots. More detail
is in the main article.
• Carrots
were first grown in Asia, and they were not orange.
• Carrots
contain antioxidants, which may protect against cancer.
• While
they may not help you see in the dark, the vitamin A in carrots helps prevent
vision loss.
• Carrots
are available all year round and can be used in savory dishes, cakes, and
juices.
What
are Carrots?
Carrots are one of the most widely used and enjoyed
vegetables in the world, partly because they grow relatively easily and are
very versatile in a number of dishes and cultural cuisines. They are
scientifically classified as Daucus carota
and categorized as a root vegetable. Carrots come in different colors such
as orange, purple, white, yellow, and red. The taproot of the carrot is the
part of the vegetable most commonly eaten, although the greens are still
beneficial in salads and other forms.
Health
Benefits of Carrots
Health benefits of carrots include the following:
Prevent Heart Diseases
In a study meant to reveal the therapeutic value of
carrots, researchers at the Wolfson Gastrointestinal Laboratory in Edinburgh,
Scotland revealed that cholesterol level drops by an average of 11 percent if
seven ounces of raw carrots per day are consumed for three weeks.
High cholesterol is a major factor causing heart
diseases. Since regular consumption of carrots reduces cholesterol levels, it
is a good idea to consume a healthy dose of carrots, in order to prevent heart-related
problems. A group of Swedish scientists discovered that these root vegetables
can reduce the chances of having a heart attack. A study conducted at the Mario
Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Italy found that those who ate
more carrots had a 1/3rd risk [3] of heart attack as compared with those who
ate fewer carrots.
A half-cup serving of chopped carrot contains 1.8
grams (g) of fiber and 205 milligrams (mg) of potassium.
Before the age of 50 years, men need 38 g of fiber a
day, and women need 25 g. After this age, women need 21 g per day, and men need
30 g.
Health authorities advise people to consume no more
than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. The recommended intake of potassium is 4,700 mg.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommend
consuming a fiber-rich diet and increasing potassium while reducing sodium
intake to protect against high blood pressure and heart disease. Carrots offer
a good balance of these nutrients.
They are rich sources of potassium, which is a
vasodilator and can relax the tension in your blood vessels and arteries,
thereby increasing blood flow and circulation, boosting organ function
throughout the body, and reducing the stress on the cardiovascular system. High
blood pressure is directly linked to atherosclerosis, strokes, and heart
attacks, so this is yet another heart-healthy aspect of carrots! The coumarin
found in them has also been linked to reducing hypertension and protecting the
heart health!
Boost
Immunity
Carrots contain a number of antiseptic and
antibacterial abilities that make them ideal for boosting the immune system.
Not only that, they are a rich source of vitamin C, which stimulates the
activity of white blood cells and is one of the most important elements in the
human immune system.
Carrots, like most vegetables, have significant
amounts of dietary fiber in their roots, and fiber is one of the most important
elements in maintaining good digestive health. Fiber adds bulk to stool, which
helps it pass smoothly through the digestive tract, and stimulates peristaltic
motion and the secretion of gastric juices. Altogether, this reduces the
severity of conditions like constipation and protects your colon and stomach
from various serious illnesses, including colorectal cancer. Fiber also boosts
heart health by helping eliminate excess LDL cholesterol from the walls of
arteries and blood vessels.
Prevent Cancer
Beta-carotene consumption has been linked to a
reduced risk of several cancers, notably
lung cancer. British researchers discovered that increasing beta-carotene
consumption from 1.7 to 2.7 milligrams per day reduced lung cancer risk by more
than 40 percent. An average carrot contains about three milligrams of
beta-carotene.
A variety of dietary carotenoids have been shown to
have anti-cancer effects, due to their antioxidant power in reducing free
radicals in the body.
Studies have found a possible link between diets
rich in carotenoids and a lower risk of prostate cancer, but more evidence is
needed to confirm whether the link is causal.
In a separate study, researchers found that eating
fiber-rich carrots reduced the risk of colon cancer by as much as 24 percent.
Another study shows that women who ate raw carrots were five to eight times
less likely to develop breast cancer than those who did not.
Reduce
Macular Degeneration
This is a common eye disease of the elderly that
impairs the function of the macula. Research has found that people who ate the
most amount of beta-carotene had a forty percent lower risk of macular degeneration compared with those
who consumed the least. Beta-carotene can also split itself via an enzymatic
reaction to form pro-vitamin A, which is often associated with antioxidant
capacity in relation to vision. Therefore, carrots are an all-around vision
booster.
Vision
Can carrots help you see in the dark? In a way, yes.
Carrots contain vitamin A. A vitamin A deficiency
can lead to xerophthalmia, a progressive eye disease that can damage normal
vision and result in night blindness, or the inability to see in low light or
darkness.
According to the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), a lack of vitamin A is one of the main preventable causes of blindness
in children.
Vitamin A deficiency is rare in the United States
(U.S.), but eating carrots contributes to vitamin A intake and helps prevent a
deficiency. So, in a way, carrots do help you see in the dark.
However, most people are unlikely to experience any
significant positive changes in their vision from eating carrots, unless they
already lack vitamin A.
Deficiency of vitamin A can cause some difficulty
seeing in dim light. Since carrots are rich in vitamin A, they are good for
improving eyesight and preventing conditions like night blindness from
developing as we age.
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