Carrots are a vegetable that have edible roots and green leafed tops. There are several varieties of carrots that can be cooked or juiced.
Carrots are packed with health-promoting beta carotene.
This makes them great for promoting good vision, especially at night, and also combating the damaging effects of free-radical activity.
They are a nutritious, low calorie addition to the healthiest way of eating any time of day.
The modern day carrot was developed and stabilized by Dutch farmers in the 16th and 17th centuries.
They have been bred to be aromatic, sweet, and crunchy.
Carrots have become a very popular snack food everywhere. They can be consumed in form of stews or soups, added to vegetable juices, or eaten with dips.
In ancient times, they were used to cure various types of maladies and conditions.
Nowadays, people have become more aware about the importance of good nutrition for better health.
They want to know the best types of foods that can give them maximum heath benefits, without necessarily going for vitamin pills or other food supplements that may lead to unpleasant side effects.
A good example of such foods is carrots.
They are a powerfood that contains vitamin A as well as several other nutrients that have powerful health benefits such as cancer prevention, beautiful skin, and anti-aging.
Here below are the 5 top benefits of carrots:
Improving vision
Carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene. Your liver converts Beta-carotene into Vitamin A, which is then converted to rhodopsin in the retina. Rhodopsin is a purple pigment which helps improve vision, especially night vision.
In addition, beta-carotene is known to protect the eyes against macular degeneration as well senile cataracts. A certain scientific study showed that people who consume larger amounts of beta-carotene have 40% lower risk of developing macular degeneration as compared to those who consume smaller amounts. Another study conducted by researchers at Jules Stein Institute at the University of California showed that women who consume carrots twice a week have lower rates of Glaucoma than those who consume them once a week.
Prevention of cancer
Carrots are rich in antioxidants, such as beta- carotene, which are known to help prevent cancer. It has been shown through research that people who smoke,and at the same time eat carrots a number of times every week have lower rates of lung cancer. In addition, a beta-carotene rich diet may offer protection against prostate cancer.
Consuming beta-carotene is also known to lower the colon cancer risk. Additionally, carrot juice extract has the potential to kill leukemia cells as well as inhibiting their progression.
Carrots also contain a natural toxin known as falcarinol, which protects them against fungal diseases. This compound is thought to promote mechanisms that help your body to fight cancer.
Detoxifying the liver
Carrot juice is very rich in Vitamin A. This property makes carrots very ideal for liver detoxification. High levels of vitamin A in carrots help the liver get rid of fat. However, you must drink carrot juice regularly in order to have maximum cleansing benefits of carrots. Your liver has a natural ability to store vitamin A and therefore, it is important for you to drink carrot juice frequently in order to give these therapeutic properties to your body.
Giving your skin a healthy glow
Carrots are a very rich source of carotenoids, which are important nutrients for your overall health, and also give your skin a healthy color. This is because of their antioxidant properties.
Consuming carrot juice helps your body get enough vitamin A, which benefits your overall skin. This makes your skin to acquire a healthy glow because your body is fit on the inside. Your body is able to easily soak up the nutritive carotene when carrots are juiced and liquefied. Always consume your carrot juice immediately after you process it to avoid the destruction of the vitamins by oxygen in the air.
Providing a good source of your daily calcium requirements
Your body requires calcium on a daily basis in order for you to function properly. Drinking 8 ounces of carrot juice every day will provide you with 6% of your daily requirements of calcium. Calcium plays a big role in bone formation and growth. It also helps your teeth to remain strong and healthy. Carrot juice is easy to take for those people who may be sick or elderly, and have difficulty chewing food. In addition, consuming food rich in Vitamin D helps improve the absorption of Calcium in your body.
In order to get maximum benefits out of juicing carrots, they must be juiced in their raw form. Bottled or canned carrot juice has less protective elements that you body needs to maintain good health.
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Sources:
-http://www.healthambition.com/health-benefits-of-juicing-carrots/
-http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/28/carrot-health-benefits.aspx
-http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270191.php
-http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21
