Carrots are sweet, crunchy vegetables that are often eaten raw or found on the side of meat dishes. However, they also have some surprisingly important health benefits that are seldom discussed. Read on to discover how eating more carrots can improve your quality of life and help you to live for longer.
1) They are extremely good for the cardiovascular system:
The reason why carrots are such a bright and vivid orange is that they contain a plant source of vitamin A that is known as beta-carotene. This chemical provides a great many significant health benefits, but it is particularly well known for its ability to protect the cardiovascular system (including the heart). The main reason for this is that beta-carotene is capable of protecting the structure of the delicate inner lining inside blood vessels, which in turn makes these blood vessels less easy to damage. This means that eating a lot of carrots will help to reduce your chances of developing dangerous blood clots. The potassium in carrots also encourages your heart rate to stay regular and healthy.
2) They improve night vision:
Although you probably thought that it was a myth, there is some truth to the old claim that carrots can help people see in the dark. If you are deficient in vitamin A, the vitamin A in carrots will turn into rhodopsin in your retina and this will help to boost your night vision.
3) They can help to protect you against certain types of cancer:
The beta-carotene in carrots may help your immune system to locate and kill dangerous cancer cells. Research on antioxidants is still somewhat contentious, but some credible current studies do support the claim that beta-carotene reduces the risk of developing lung, oral, stomach, bladder, breast and prostate cancers. In addition, the vitamin A in carrots helps to keep your cells reproducing normally. This lowers your risk of developing cancer because cancer occurs when abnormal cells replicate uncontrollably. Carrots also contain a natural pesticide called falcarinol, and studies performed on mice have shown that this compound reduces the risk of developing colon cancer by around one third. Finally, it is also interesting to note that some research in Sweden has shown that older women who eat between one and two carrots every day are a staggering two third less likely to develop breast cancer.
4) They can help to reduce levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol:
Carrots contain pectin, which helps to lower levels of LDL cholesterol in the body. Indeed, current research suggests that eating just two carrots each day can lower your bad cholesterol levels by between ten and twenty percent.
5) They are great for your dental heath:
Crunching on raw carrots can help to clean your teeth, removing food residue that can encourage tooth decay. They also stimulate your mouth to produce plenty of saliva, and this helps to prevent staining on your teeth. Finally, carrots also contain minerals that can help to eradicate bacteria in the mouth (thereby reducing the risk of gum infections and tooth damage).
6) They promote beautiful skin:
Carrots help to detoxify the liver, and it is suspected that this helps to reduce acne in people who develop skin problems because of toxins in the blood. The fact that carrots contain so much vitamin A also means that they help to keep the skin hydrated and blemish-free.
7) They reduce your risk of having a stroke:
Recent research strongly supports the idea that almost all fruits and vegetables can help to reduce your risk of having a stroke. If you eat around nine or ten servings each day, you are thought to be around 30% less likely to have a stroke. Carrots are delicious and versatile, so they are an ideal choice for at least one of your daily portions.
8. They can help to improve digestive health:
Carrot juice seems to be extremely good for treating stomach ailments, including ulcers, diarrhea, and Crohn’s Disease. When you chew carrots, you also produce a lot more saliva than usual, and this boosts your body’s ability to digest your food quickly and effectively. Some scientists also suspect that regularly eating carrots can even help to prevent gastric ulcers from forming.
9) They help to prevent macular degeneration:
People who eat fruits that are particularly rich in antioxidants are thought to be as much as 36% less likely to end up suffering from macular degeneration. This is particularly important in older age, as macular degeneration is the primary cause of partial or full vision loss in the elderly. The beta-carotene in carrots is especially good at neutralizing the free radicals that cause this damage.
As is obvious from the above health benefits, carrots are a great choice if you want to increase your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. They are also an excellent addition to salads, and raw carrots taste particularly delicious when dipped in hummus.
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