You know carrots as the orange vegetables that can top a salad or be sliced and served as a snack. But you may not know the many nutritional benefits eating carrots can offer in your daily diet. From providing an important source of vitamin A to potentially improving your eyesight, incorporating carrots into your meals can help you stay well.
Fight Free Radicals
Carrots are high in beta carotene, a form of vitamin A that acts as an antioxidant in your body. Antioxidants circulate in your system, fighting free radicals that can cause premature aging and inflammation in your tissues. If you wish to truly harness the antioxidant power of carrots, cook them. Cooking carrots releases more antioxidants for your body's use, according to AllRecipes.com. A 1/2-cup serving of boiled carrots contains about 13,418 IU of vitamin A -- 270 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin A, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Improve Vision
A lack of vitamin A in your diet can contribute to poor vision. People in the world who have less vitamin A in their diets are more likely to experience vision problems due to this deficiency. By eating carrots, you can prevent vision decline due to vitamin deficiency. Carrots are not the ultimate cure-all, however. They do not improve your eyesight if you already currently obtain enough vitamin A in your diet.
Protect Against Cancers
Carrots contain a compound known as falcarinol. This compound has been linked to the reduction in the risk of tumor formation. The antioxidants found in carrots also have been linked with decreasing your risk for lung cancer. Note that these benefits were the result of eating whole food sources; you can't expect similar results when taking a vitamin supplement.
Other Benefits
Carrots contain ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, an antioxidant that is also needed to produce collagen, a component of healthy skin. Carrots contain minerals like potassium and magnesium as well as vitamin B-6, folate and other antioxidants such as alpha-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Carrots also are low in calories, meaning you can reap the benefits without paying for them in weight gain.
References
- HealWithFood.org; Health Benefits of Eating Carrots; 2010
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
- University of Illinois Extension; Carrot; 2011
- "The New York Times"; The Claim: Eating Carrots Improves Your Eyesight; Anahad O'Connor; May 2005
- AllRecipes.com: SuperFoods to the Rescue
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