Evidence suggests that eating more antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, can help reduce the risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Carrots are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Here are some ways in which carrots might be healthful:
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.
- 30 calories
- 2 g fiber – 8% RDV
- Vitamin A – 241% RDV
- Vitamin K – 12% RDV
- Vitamin C – 7% RDV
- Potassium – 7% RDV
- No fat
- No cholesterol
The vitamin A content in carrots is crazy high, right? But don’t worry, you can eat carrots every day without overdosing on vitamin A like you might if you took high quantities of a supplement. Getting vitamin, A from carrots differs from taking vitamin pills because carrots don’t actually contain vitamin A. They contain beta-carotene (an antioxidant and type of carotenoid) that our bodies convert to vitamin A. But our bodies are clever, and they only convert as much as they need to, so we never have to worry about suffering any toxic side-effects from excess vitamin A. These high levels of beta-carotene are what gives the humble carrot some of its amazing health benefits.
Smooth Tanned Skin
Bizarrely, one study showed that eating a healthy diet rich in foods like carrots and tomatoes gives you a healthier and more golden glow than the sun! Substances called carotenoids, antioxidants that give red or yellow colouring to certain foods, are responsible for this ‘natural tan’. When asked to choose between skin colour caused by suntan or by carotenoids, people preferred the golden hue of the carotenoids. Just don’t completely ditch the sun in favour of chowing down on carrots, you still need the sunshine for your daily dose of vitamin D.