7 Health Benefits of Carrots

Carrots are delicious and highly
medicinal vegetables which are widely
consumed all over the world in a wide
range of dishes and cultural cuisines.
Several kinds of carrots are cultivated
including the white, yellow, orange,
purple and red carrots although the
orange carrots are the ones we
commonly see around here.
It's particularly interesting to note
that the taproot of this vegetable is the
part we are more familiar with and
eat most of the time because of its
crunchy texture and delicious taste.
However, the green leaves of carrots
are also beneficial, for instance in
making salads. Furthermore, the
health benefits of carrots can be
largely due to its rich beta carotene
and fibre content. The carotene
accounts for the bright orange colour
of orange carrots. Beta carotene is
absorbed in the intestine and
subsequently converted into vitamin A
in the liver. In addition, carrots are
quite rich in vitamins (K and C), folic
acid, pantothenic acid, iron, copper,
manganese and potassium which
protect the heart. Interestingly,
research has shown that the benefits
of these nutrients can be maximized
when carrots are steamed. From the
aforementioned, it is obvious how
carrots offer numerous health benefits
as discussed below:
1. Lowers Cancer Risk
Recent studies have revealed that
carrots may play an important role in
reducing the incidence of cancers of
the prostate, breast, lungs and colon.
This anti-cancer effect is largely
attributable to phytonutrients found
in carrots such as beta carotene,
falcarinol and falcarindiol which
possess excellent antioxidant
properties and help to mop up free
radicals. For instance, among the
Japanese, it has been found that
colorectal cancer is inversely related
to the consumption of beta carotene.
Fortunately, one average-sized carrot
contains up to 3mg of beta carotene.
In fact, when you consume fibre-rich
carrots, you lower your risk of
developing colon cancer by up to 24%.
Similarly, in a research conducted at
the Harvard School of Public Health, it
was discovered that beta carotenes
also protect against prostate cancer.
2. Enhances Vision
It's no longer news that vitamin A
deficiency leads to night blindness, a
condition characterized by poor vision
in dim light. Fortunately, one average
carrot provides more than double of
the daily vitamin A requirements of
an adult thus enhancing vision. How?
Beta carotene consumed through
carrots is first converted to vitamin A
in the liver. Subsequently, vitamin A
is then converted to rhodopsin, an
important pigment for night vision.
More still, beta carotene has also been
shown to offer protection against
senile cataracts and macular
degeneration which are important
causes of blindness.
According to a study, those who ate
sufficient beta carotene had 40%
lesser risk of macular degeneration
compared to others. Furthermore, a
research conducted at Jules Stein
Institute of the University of
California found that women who ate
carrots at least twice in a week were
less likely to develop glaucoma than
those who ate carrots less than once a
week.
3. Regulates Blood Pressure
Carrots are good sources of potassium
which has been shown to be
cardioprotective. Potassium, being a
vasodilator helps to relax the tension
in the blood vessels and enhance
blood flow, culminating in reduced
blood pressure and improved
cardiovascular function. Furthermore,
coumarin in carrots has also been
associated with blood pressure
reduction. Evidently, once the blood
pressure is within safe limits, dreadful
complications of hypertension such as
stroke, blindness, heart attack, renal
failure and erectile dysfunction are
also kept at bay. According to the
British Journal of Nutrition,
researchers have found that carrots
may reduce the risk of heart attack by
as much as 32%.
4. Helps in Blood Sugar Control
Carrots have been shown to be
beneficial in keeping your blood sugar
within normal limits. First, being rich
in fibres, carrots help to keep you full
and satisfied such that you are less
likely to resort to sugary junk foods.
Also, carotenoids which are found in
carrots tend to prevent insulin
resistance, a key component in the
pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes
mellitus. Even in diabetic individuals,
carrots enhance insulin function and
glucose metabolism which helps to
stabilize blood glucose.
5. Aids Digestion
Understandably, because of the high-
fibre content of carrots, they usually
add bulk to the diet thus stimulating
peristalsis and enhancing onward
propulsion of food in the intestine.
This helps to prevent constipation and
protects the gut from toxic substances
that may lead to colon cancer.
6. Promotes Oral Health
Carrot is crunchy! Like a tooth brush,
as you chew it, it helps to scrape off
food particles and plaques in-between
your teeth which if left in place can
serve as substrates for cavity-forming
bacteria. In addition, carrots
stimulate production of saliva, an
alkaline juice that helps to balance out
or neutralize acids produced by
bacteria in the mouth. This goes a
long way to reduce the incidence of
avoidable oral diseases like dental
caries and halitosis (bad breath).
7. Slows Down the Ageing Process
Ageing is an inevitable physiological
process that ultimately sets in in
everyone who lives long enough.
However, regular intake of carrots
slows down the rate at which you age.
This is not far-fetched in view of the
several antioxidants loaded in carrots.
They help to shield the body cells from
oxidative injury by mopping up
harmful free radicals. Some important
antioxidants in carrots include alpha-
and beta-carotene, lutein, cyanidins,
vitamin C, coumaric acid and caffeic
acid to mention a few.
With these multiple benefits of carrots
to your health, making it part of your
regular diet won’t be a bad idea.
Carrot is readily available in
neighbourhood markets and grocery
stores.