9 Top Reasons to Eat Carrots
Carrots make an excellent, crunchy go-to snack. You can eat them raw or cooked, with dip or without, and added to just about any meal you can think of.
Their slightly sweet taste and versatility are part of what make carrots so popular, but beyond this, you should strive to eat more carrots because of what they can offer your health.
1. Heart Disease
Eating more deep-orange-colored fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In particular, carrots are associated with a 32 percent lower risk of CHD, leading researchers to conclude:
"… [A] higher intake of deep orange fruit and vegetables and especially carrots may protect against CHD."
The consumption of carrots has also been associated with a lower risk of heart attacks in women.
2. Cancer
Antioxidants in carrots, including beta-carotene, may play a role in cancer prevention. Research has shown that smokers who eat carrots more than once a week have a lower risk of lung cancer, while a beta-carotene-rich diet may also protect against prostate cancer.
Research published in the European Journal of Nutrition also found a significantly decreased risk of prostate cancer associated with the intake of carrots.
The consumption of beta-carotene is also associated with a lower risk of colon cancer while carrot juice extract may kill leukemia cells and inhibit their progression. Further, a meta-analysis found that eating carrots may reduce your risk of gastric cancer by up to 26 percent.
Carrots also contain falcarinol, a natural toxin that protects carrots against fungal disease. It's thought that this compound may stimulate cancer-fighting mechanisms in your body, as it's been shown to cut the risk of tumor development in rats.
3. Vision
A deficiency in vitamin A can cause your eye's photoreceptors to deteriorate, which leads to vision problems. Eating foods rich in beta-carotene may restore vision, lending truth to the old adage that carrots are good for your eyes.
In addition, research shows women may reduce their risk of glaucoma by 64 percent by consuming more than two servings per week of carrots.
Carrots are also a rich source of lutein, and research suggests "increased lutein consumption has a close correlation with reduction in the incidence of cataract."
4. Brain Health
Carrot extract has been found to be useful for the management of cognitive dysfunctions and may offer memory improvement and cholesterol-lowering benefits.
A high intake of root vegetables, including carrots, is also associated with better cognitive function and smaller decline in cognitive function during middle age.
And a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found a diet rich in plant foods is associated with better performance in several cognitive abilities in a dose-dependent manner among the elderly.
Notably, carrots had one of the strongest positive cognitive associations of the plant foods tested.
5. Liver Protection
Carrot extract may help to protect your liver from the toxic effects of environmental chemicals.
6. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Carrot extract also has anti-inflammatory properties and provided anti-inflammatory benefits that were significant even when compared to anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Celebrex.
7. Anti-Aging Benefits
Carrots are a valuable source of antioxidants, including carotenoids (beta carotene, lutein and alpha-carotene), hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic acid and ferulic acid), and anthocyanins.
Antioxidants may help to ward off cellular damage from free radicals, slowing down cellular aging. As noted by the George Mateljan Foundation:
"Different varieties of carrots contain differing amounts of these antioxidant phytonutrients. Red and purple carrots, for example, are best known for the rich anthocyanin content.
Oranges are particularly outstanding in terms of beta-carotene, which accounts for 65% of their total carotenoid content. In yellow carrots, 50% of the total carotenoids come from lutein.
You're going to receive outstanding antioxidant benefits from each of these carrot varieties!"
8. Skin Health
Orange-red vegetables are full of beta-carotene. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which prevents cell damage and premature aging. Beta-carotene may also protect your skin from sun damage.
Researchers even found that carotenoids, which are found in high concentrations in carrots, impart a warm glow "sufficient to convey perceptible improvements in the apparent healthiness and attractiveness of facial skin."
9. Oral Health
Carrots help to clean your teeth by increasing saliva production. Eating them at the end of a meal may even help to reduce your risk of cavities.