Health Benefits of Eating Carrots

The carrot is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, Daucus carota, native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The carrot (Daucus carota) is a root vegetable often claimed to be the perfect health food.

It is crunchy, tasty, and highly nutritious. Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants.

They also have a number of health benefits. They’re a weight-loss-friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.

What’s more, their carotene antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer. Carrots are found in many colors, including yellow, white, orange, red, and purple.

Orange carrots get their bright color from beta carotene, an antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A. This article tells you everything you need to know about carrots.

Nutrition facts

Carrots’ water content ranges from 86–95%, and the edible portion consists of around 10% carbs. Carrots contain very little fat and protein.

The nutrition facts for two small-to-medium raw carrots (100 grams) are:

-Calories: 41

-Water: 88%

-Protein: 0.9 grams

-Carbs: 9.6 grams

-Sugar: 4.7 grams

-Fiber: 2.8 grams

-Fat: 0.2 grams

Carbs

Carrots are mainly composed of water and carbs. The carbs consist of starch and sugars, such as sucrose and glucose.

They are also a relatively good source of fiber, with one medium-sized carrot (61 grams) providing 2 grams.

Carrots often rank low on the glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar after a meal.

Their GI ranges from 16–60 — lowest for raw carrots, a little higher for cooked ones, and highest for puréed.

Eating low-glycemic foods is linked to numerous health benefits and considered particularly beneficial for people with diabetes.

Fiber

Pectin is the main form of soluble fiber in carrots (8).

Soluble fibers can lower blood sugar levels by slowing down your digestion of sugar and starch.

They can also feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, which may lead to improved health and decreased risk of disease.

What’s more, certain soluble fibers can impair the absorption of cholesterol from your digestive tract, lowering blood cholesterol.

The main insoluble fibers in carrots are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Insoluble fibers may reduce your risk of constipation and promote regular bowel movements.

Health benefits of carrots

Much of the research on carrots has focused on carotenoids.

1.Reduced risk of cancer

Diets rich in carotenoids may help protect against several types of cancer.

This includes prostate, colon, and stomach cancers. Women with high circulating levels of carotenoids may also have a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Dated research suggested that carotenoids could protect against lung cancer, but newer studies have not identified a correlation.

2.Lower blood cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is a well-known risk factor for heart disease. Intake of carrots has been linked to lower cholesterol levels.

3.Weight loss

As a low-calorie food, carrots can increase fullness and decrease calorie intake in subsequent meals.

For this reason, they may be a useful addition to an effective weight loss diet.

4.Eye health

Individuals with low vitamin A levels are more likely to experience night blindness, a condition that may diminish by eating carrots or other foods rich in vitamin A or carotenoids. Carotenoids may also cut your risk of age-related macular degeneration.

5.They boost your immune system. 

The vitamin C in carrots helps your body build antibodies that defend your immune system. Vitamin C also helps your body take in and use iron and prevent infections.

6.They can help with constipation.

If you’re having trouble going to the bathroom, try munching on some raw carrots. With their high fiber content, they can help ease constipation and keep you regular.

7.They can help control diabetes. 

People with diabetes are advised to load up on non-starchy vegetables, including carrots. The fiber in carrots can help keep blood sugar levels under control. And they’re loaded with vitamin A and beta-carotene, which there’s evidence to suggest can lower your diabetes risk.

8.They can strengthen your bones. 

Carrots have calcium and vitamin K, both of which are important for bone health.

Organic vs. conventionally grown carrots

Organic farming uses natural methods for growing the crop. Studies comparing organic and conventionally grown carrots did not find any difference in the amount of carotenoids or antioxidant content and quality.

However, conventionally grown carrots contain pesticide residues. The long-term health effects of low-grade pesticide intake are unclear, but some scientists have voiced concerns.

Baby carrots

Baby carrots are an increasingly popular snack food. Two kinds of carrots are called baby carrots, which can be misleading.

One the one hand, there are whole carrots harvested while still small.

On the other hand, there are baby-cut carrots, which are pieces from larger carrots that have been machine-cut into the preferred size, then peeled, polished, and sometimes washed in small amounts of chlorine before packing.

There’s very little difference in nutrients between regular and baby carrots, and they should have the same health effects.

How to Prepare and Store Carrots

Carrots can be part of many popular diets, like vegan, keto, paleo, and more.

To prepare them, wash them thoroughly in water and scrub off any dirt. You can peel them with a vegetable peeler or knife if you'd like, but you don't have to.

From there, you might slice them into sticks and eat them with hummus or a yogurt-based dip. If you don't like crunchy carrots, you can steam, boil, or roast them and serve them as a side dish. They also work well in savory dishes like beef stew, chicken pot pie, or stir-fry.

Fresh, whole carrots will keep for several weeks in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. If the leafy green tops are still attached, trim those first. Then store them in a plastic bag with holes in it.

Carrots are the perfect snack crunchy, full of nutrients, low in calories, and sweet. They’re associated with heart and eye health, improved digestion, and even weight loss.

This root vegetable comes in several colors, sizes, and shapes, all of which are great additions to a healthy diet.