Forget about your Vitamin A supplements. Get the natural vitamins from fruits and vegetables available in the supermart. With this orange crunchy powerfood, you can get abundant amount of Vitamin A and other powerful benefits. Carrot provides ultimate protection against several skin problems, helping in maintaining your skin healthy, cancer prevention and anti-aging.
Do You Know…? Fun Facts on Carrots
1) Carrots are second most popular vegetables, followed after potato and there are over 100 different types of carrots.
2) Women in the 1600’s use carrot leaves as part of the decoration for their hats.
3) An average American can eat 5.44kg of carrots in a year
4) The greek word of carrot is “karaton”.
5) Rabbits love eating carrots. When rabbit eats one carrot, it is like us eating over 23 carrots. Rabbits like the sweetness from the carrots but they should not take too much as it will cause digestive problems and diabetes.
Health Benefits of Carrots
1) Improves vision
In my earlier post on eyecare, I mentioned that does not improve our visual acuity. In fact, it contains beta-carotene, which will be converted into Vitamin A in the liver and is transformed in our retina, to rhodopsin, a purple pigment necessary for night vision. It also protects muscular degeneration and cataracts (vision loss in people over age 40).
2) Slows down aging
Vitamin A and beta-carotene content in the carrot serves as anti-oxidant. Carrots keep your skin vibrant and healthy, slowing down the aging of cells. They protects the skin from sun damage, preventing premature wrinkles to form, acne, pigmentation, uneven skin tone. Drinking carrot juice on a regular basis can help get rid of several scars and skin blemishes. Besides consuming carrots in the body, carrot can be used externally on your face as facial mask. Grate the carrot and mix it with honey. Apply for 15 minutes before washing off.
Vitamin C content in carrot helps in the production of collagen, which is necessary for the elasticity of the skin. Thus, regular use of carrots can help in preventing wrinkles, and slowing the process of aging.
3) Prevents the risk of cancer
Studies have shown that carrots reduce the risk of lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. The natural pesticide produced by carrot (falcarinol) is found to be the anti-cancer agent.
4) Helps prevent infection
Carrots can be used on minor cuts as it helps prevent infection.
5) Prevents heart disease
Studies have shown that diet with high content of carotenoids help to lower the risk of heart disease. Carrots have not only beta-carotene but also alpha-carotene and lutein. The regular consumption of carrots reduces cholesterol levels.
6) Cleanses the body
Vitamin A content found in carrots help to cleanse and de-tox the body by reducing the bile and fat in the liver.
7) Protection of your teeth and gums
Carrots scrape off the food particles on your teeth while it also stimulates gum and trigger the saliva, alkaline in nature which balance out the acid form in the teeth.
8) Prevents stroke
Studies conducted in a Harvard University have shown that if we eat more than six carrots per week, we are less likely to suffer stroke.
9) Hair care protection
Carrots are widely known to improve hair thickness and promote growth. It offers vital vitamins to make our hair look thicker. Vitamin C and E in carrots improve blood circulation in your scalp, thus preventing premature hair greying.
