Superfoods: Carrot

Carrot: Bites of goodness

There’s a good reason why Bugs Bunny is shown chewing a carrot as its benefits are legendary. Carrot’s origin has a somewhat obscure history with its ancestry tracing back 5,000 years to central Asian and Middle Eastern countries. It belongs to the Umbelliferae family, named after the umbrella like flower clusters that plants in this family produce. There are over 100 different varieties that vary in size and colours. In early 1800s, it was the first vegetable to be canned.

• Vitamin C in carrots helps in collagen production in the body – an essential protein for skin elasticity, prevents wrinkles and locks the process of ageing
• Carrot contains complete nutrition with essential enzymes, vitamins and minerals, including carbohydrate, protein, fat, calcium and iron. It is a good source of fibre, vitamin B1, B2, B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, biotin, phosphorus, organic sodium, biotin, potassium and thiamine
• Regular consumption of carrots reduces cholesterol level to prevent heart related problems
• Carotenoids in carrot inversely affect insulin resistance and thus lower blood sugar
• Potash succinate, the anti-hypertensive drug properties found in carrot, may also help to reduce blood pressure
• Carrot contains carotene, a chemical that is converted into vitamin A by the body to help in preventing night blindness and lowers risk of macular degeneration, a common eye disease in the elderly
• Beta-carotene consumption has been linked to reduced risk of several cancers, notably lung cancer
• Vitamin A in carrot is an excellent natural antioxidant that slows down the process of ageing by scavenging on free radicals that can create skin problems like eczema, dermatitis, wrinkles and even rashes
• The high carbohydrate content of carrots can effectively change your intestinal flora from a putrefactive to a non-putrefactive form
• Women who ate raw carrots were five to eight times less likely to develop breast cancer than women who did not eat carrots

Caution: Eating excessive amount of carrots may cause the skin to turn yellow temporarily (Considered harmless, just reduce your intake). Also, reduce the amount or avoid it during pregnancy as high amount could induce abortion.