Carrots

See also : Beta-carotene

The benefits of Carrots are

Carrots are a great source of the potent antioxidants known as carotenoids. Diets high in carotenoids have been tied to a decreased risk in postmenopausal breast cancer as well as cancers of the bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagus. Conversely, diets low in carotenoids have been associated with chronic disease, including heart disease and various cancers. Research suggests that just one carrot per day could reduce your risk of lung cancer by half. Carrots may also reduce your risk of kidney and ovarian cancers. In addition to fighting cancer, the nutrients in carrots inhibit cardiovascular disease, stimulate the immune system, promote colon health, and support ear and eye health.

Carrots contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin C, and an incredible amount of vitamin A. The alpha-carotene in carrots has shown promise in inhibiting tumor growth. Carrots also contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which work together to promote eye health and prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. In Chinese medicine, carrots are used to treat rheumatism, kidney stones, tumors, indigestion, diarrhea, night blindness, ear infections, earaches, deafness, skin lesions, urinary tract infections, coughs, and constipation.

• 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.
• 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. Additionally, a human study found that consumption of carrot juice increased blood levels of carotenoids in breast cancer survivors. The researchers believe that increased carotenoid blood levels acts as a cancer preventive.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• healthy hear : Carrots are being used externally and internally to achieve healthy hair. Some individuals use carrot oil to have healthy and longer hair. But the best way to use carrot for healthier hair is to include it in the diet. A cup of carrot contains more than 400 percent of the vitamin A daily requirement. Vitamin A is an antioxidant together with beta-carotene and anthocyanidins. The antioxidants in this orange vegetable can help in the fast repair of damaged hair and therefore maintaining a healthy hair. Vitamin A also helps in the production of sebum which can help keep the hair shiny and soft, characteristics of a healthy hair.

Main Combinations

preparation for tanning : Borage Seed Oil + Carrots