The Poor Man's Ginseng
Children have long been encouraged by their mothers and grandmothers to eat their carrots — and for good reason. These vibrant orange vegetables, sometimes referred to as the poor man's ginseng, are loaded with nutrients and phytochemicals which can offer a plethora of health benefits. To maximize these benefits, it is advisable to opt for organically grown carrots whenever possible: according to research, conventionally grown carrots are among the most contaminated vegetables in terms of pesticide and chemical content.
Vegetable for Sunny Days
Carrots are one of the best dietary sources of beta-carotene — a nutrient that is known to help protect the skin against damage from sun exposure. When buying these delicious root vegetables, choose carrots with the deepest, darkest orange color as they contain the highest levels of beta-carotene. What's more, steaming carrots slightly can improve the availability of beta-carotene. Also eating carrots with a little bit of fat helps the body make the best use of the beta-carotene contained in these lovely veggies.
Protection Against Cancer
Research suggests that eating plenty of carrots can lower the risk of lung cancer for smokers. In one study, the researchers interviewed 417 lung cancer cases and 849 controls on their tobacco use and their intake of four food items rich in vitamin A or its precursor beta-carotene: liver, cheese, carrots, and green leafy vegetables. Both green leafy vegetables and carrots were found to cut the lung cancer risk in smokers, but carrots were found to exert a stronger protective effect.
In addition to being rich in beta-carotene, carrots provide an excellent source of falcarinol — a natural compound that has been shown to inhibit the development of many types of cancer. Researchers found that rats that had pre-cancerous tumors and that were fed carrots were one third less likely to develop full-scale tumors than the animals in the control group. If you prefer cooked carrots over raw ones, it is best to keep the vegetables whole during boiling or steaming and chop them only afterwards; this helps them retain antioxidant nutrients and falcarinol.
