Carrot Benefits for Health

A medium-size carrot has 6 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber. This fruit are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. A diet deficient in vitamin A can lead to night blindness and other eye problems. Carrot is an important source of potassium. Potassium is important in helping to maintain a healthy electrolyte balance and fluid level in the cells of body.

What is Carrot Good For?

Carrots are  one of the best source of beta carotene. Beta carotene is one of the strong antioxidant that helps protect body from harmful oxygen-free radical injury.  Beta-carotene has been shown to protect against macular degeneration and senile cataracts. A study found that participants who eat the most beta-carotene had 40% lower risk of macular degeneration than those who consumed little.

A variety of dietary carotenoids have been shown to have anti-cancer properties due to their antioxidant effect in reducing free radicals in the body. Carrot extract was shown to kill leukemia cells and inhibit their progression in a 2011 study. British scientists discovered that increasing beta-carotene consumption from 1.7 to 2.7 mg per day reduced lung cancer risk by more than 40%. Among younger men, diets rich in betacarotene may play a protective role against prostate cancer, according to a research performed by the “Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition”. Men who included carrots as part of their regular diet, eating them at least three times a week, were 18 per cent less likely to develop a prostate tumour, according to results reported in the latest “European Journal of Nutrition”. Recently, scientists have isolated a compound called falcarinol in carrots that may be largely responsible for anti-cancer effects.Study conducted by researchers at “University of Newcastle” on lab animals has found that falcarinol in carrots may help fight against cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells in the tumors.

Studies shown that a diet high in carotenoids are linked  with a lower risk of heart disease. A study performed at the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research in Italy found that those who ate more carrots had one third the risk of heart attack as compared with those who ate fewer carrots. Several studies have strengthened the “carrot effect” on brain.  According to a research carried at “Harvard University”, individuals who consumed more than 6 carrots a week are less likely to suffer from strokes in comparison to those who ate only one carrot a month or less.