7 HEALTH BENEFITS OF CARROTS
https://healthplero.blogspot.com/2015/07/7-reasons-to-eat-carrots.html
Carrot is very popular all over the world and thanks to bugs bunny everyone is aware of how enjoyable it is to eat carrots. Despite the popularity of carrots, it is being overlooked by many nowadays.
Eating one medium carrot will provide you with
- calcium (2%)
- vitamin K (10%)
- vitamin C (6%) and
- 210% of vitamin A, which is the average recommended amount of vitamin A to be consumed daily.
Carrots can be eaten raw or cooked but to get the
most out of carrots, it should be half cooked or steamed. This is because raw
carrots have tough cellular walls which makes less amounts of beta-carotene to
be available to the body. However, when the carrots are half cooked, the tough
cell walls are broken. This process releases beta-carotene.
1
improves eye sight
Carrot is made up of beta-carotene which gives it
its color. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the liver. This vitamin
A is later converted in the retina into a pigment called rhodopsin which aids
in night vision.
Carrots also contain important chemicals such as carotenoids that have been associated with good eye sight, prevention of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (1).
2
anti-cancer benefits
A study revealed that carrots help prevent us against chemically induced skin cancer(2).
Furthermore, the consumption of carrots has been associated with a decreased risk of developing gastric cancer (3)
Furthermore, the consumption of carrots has been associated with a decreased risk of developing gastric cancer (3)
3
lowers the risk of heart disease
Research has shown that eating carrots may reduce a
person’s risk of developing coronary heart disease by 32% . This study was conducted by Oude et al for over a period of 10 years.
This research focused on the color of fruit and vegetables and 10 year
incidence of coronary heart disease.
The color of foods under study were white, red/purple, orange/yellow and green. By the end of this study foods colored with orange/yellow were found to be the most protective against coronary heart disease and carrots were found to be the most effective. This study showed that foods that are high in carotenoids are able to reduce the risk of hearth disease (4).
The color of foods under study were white, red/purple, orange/yellow and green. By the end of this study foods colored with orange/yellow were found to be the most protective against coronary heart disease and carrots were found to be the most effective. This study showed that foods that are high in carotenoids are able to reduce the risk of hearth disease (4).
4
Anti-ageing benefits
Consuming carrots helps to slow down the aging of
cells. This is because carrots contain high amounts of beta-carotene which acts
as an antioxidant to cells when damaged through the process of metabolism.
5
Healthy skin
Carrots contain high levels of vitamin A. This
vitamin A protects our skin from being damaged by the sun. Consuming vitamin A
will prevent uneven skin tone, dry skin, premature wrinkling and blemishes.
Consuming vitamin A makes the skin, hair and nails to be moist and healthy. Carrot extract is also used in some body lotions because it nourishes the skin. Some facial masks are made with carrots and honey.
Consuming vitamin A makes the skin, hair and nails to be moist and healthy. Carrot extract is also used in some body lotions because it nourishes the skin. Some facial masks are made with carrots and honey.
6 Carrot is a good source of antioxidant
Carotenoids which is found in carrot is a good source of antioxidants in our diet. Studies have showed that carotenoids through their antioxidant activity, can protect our cells and tissues from damage by free radicals. It further enhances our immune system, protects our skin from sunburn and may delay the onset of certain types of cancers (5)
7 Protection of our liver
Consuming carrots can help protect our liver from chemicals found in our environment (6).
Last updated: 11/13/2017
