Nutrition is important. In fact, it is essential to good health and it is vital to life. Think about the many health conditions that could have been prevented if only we have eaten well. Nature has provided us with bountiful, organic foods that are much safer and just as effective as synthetically made ones. Research studies have shown that getting the right amounts of antioxidants into our bodies help us fight off the unwanted effects of free radicals – substances which cause cell damage to different parts of the body resulting to the development of illnesses.

This explains why we should take extra care when choosing the foods that we eat. After all, the state of our health is determined by the things that we put inside our mouths. You are, as they say, what you eat. So choose to eat healthy, and incorporate healthier food choices.

Why You Must Eat a Carrot

Do not take a carrot for granted – ever. This seemingly unassuming vegetable, with its vibrant orange hue, is a powerhouse of nutrients which can do wonders for your body. To start with, carrots contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and E plus a handful of minerals such as magnesium, thiamine, folic acid, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and copper. The beautiful glowing color of the carrot is due to its high levels of beta-carotene.

The carotene content in carrots is very high, and carotene is a very potent antioxidant. So if you are in the lookout for foods that boast of high antioxidant content, carrots should be a part of your list. The phytochemicals in carrots are said to be the ones responsible for the carrot’s ability to reduce the risk of stroke and cancer, and in slowing down the process of aging.

To further convince you of the mighty carrot’s mighty health benefits, here are seven more reasons why you should regularly eat a carrot:

• It beautifies and protects your skin

  Vitamin A helps promote healthy skin, and because carrots contain loads of beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A, carrots help you achieve the beautiful skin you have always wanted. Because of its high antioxidant content, it protects your skin too! Talk about a one-two punch delivery system.

  To further support this claim, researchers from Netherland had linked healthy skin with high vitamin A levels – and carrots are able to give you that. Carrots reduce inflammatory processes in the skin and helps even out the skin’s tone. It has also been used in the treatment and management of dermatological conditions such as wrinkles, rashes, eczema and dermatitis.

• It protects against cancer

  In a study conducted on smokers, it appeared that regular consumption of carrots helped cut the risk of developing lung cancer. In fact, it exerted a stronger protective effect compared to green leafy vegetables. Aside from its beta-carotene content, carrots also contain a natural compound called falcarinol which has shown potential when it comes to inhibiting cancer development. Falcarinol also acts as the carrot’s natural pesticide which prevents the growth of diseases that are caused by fungus. Rats with pre-cancerous tumors, and who were fed with carrots, had a one-third chance of not developing fully grown tumors as compared to the other group who were not fed carrots.

• It helps reduce heart disease risk

  Carrots have been known for their ability to keep the skin and the eyes healthy, and you may have not heard this fact: carrots can actually keep your heart healthy too! A study conducted by a team of researchers from the Netherlands have found out that eating foods that are dark orange or yellow in color protects the heart than eating foods that are colored white, purple, red or green does. Furthermore, the researchers revealed that of all the orange and yellow colored foods available, the carrots offer the best form of protection to the heart.

  The carrot’s ability to protect the heart is attributed to its high antioxidant content as well as to falcarinol. These substances prevent the clumping of red blood cells and promote better circulation to ensure the healthy pumping mechanism of the heart.

• It is good for the eyes

  You may have heard this from your kindergarten teacher but she was right – and she still is. But don’t get me wrong, eating carrots won’t magically improve your vision. However, because of its high beta-carotene content, carrots are good for your eyes. The liver is the organ responsible for converting beta-carotene into vitamin A which is a very important nutrient in order to keep the eyes healthy. People who are deficient of vitamin A often suffer from dry eyes, macular degeneration, cataracts and, the worst case of all, blindness.

  Furthermore, carrots contain another antioxidant in the form of lutein, which helps stop the development of macular degeneration.

• It relieves stress

  Are you feeling stressed and a bit under the weather? Try munching on carrots instead of reaching for a jar of chocolate chip cookies. You may notice that once you are feeling stressed, there is tension in and around your mouth and the desire to munch on something crispy and crunchy is intense as it helps you relieve some of the tension. The crispiness and the crunch of carrots help you beat stress. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals and is a more nutritious way of munching stress off. Also, beta-carotene inside your body is depleted when you are stressed out, so replacing it by munching on carrots is an excellent choice.

• It cleanses the body from toxins

  Vitamin A present in carrots helps your liver in secreting bile. This allows the toxins to be flushed out of your body. As such, carrots can be used as a natural detoxifying agent. Also, because of its high fiber content, it aids in the smooth and proper functioning of the digestive system.

• It is rich in antioxidants

  Lastly, the antioxidant content in carrots is overwhelming, and most of the carrot’s health benefits had been attributed to its antioxidant activity.

Sources
healwithfood.org
oohoi.com
naturalhomeandgarden.com
carrotmuseum.co.uk
ezinearticles.com
fitnessmagazine.com