Carrots 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

 

Carrot also known as Daucus carota is a root vegetable that is often claimed to be a perfect food to improve your health. 

Carrot are packed with some essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, K and B8, along with folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, copper, manganese and iron. Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants. [1]

Carrot are known to improve vision, promote skin health, and reduce the risk of some forms of cancer. Moreover carrots are also weight-loss-friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels.

Mostly they have a signature color- orange, but some countries produce carrots in various other shades- yellow, red, white and purple too.  The purple carrots are abundant in anthocyanin, and the red ones have large amounts of lycopene. 

These brightly colored veggies are versatile, tasty and ofcourse healthy. You can have them raw with dips, shredded into a salad, and boiled or steamed. They may also be grated and baked into a carrot cake.

This article tells you everything you need to know about carrots.

Carrot Nutrition Facts

Here's the nutritional value  for 1 medium raw carrot (61g).

• Calories: 25
• 0 gram of fat
• 42mg of sodium
• 6 gram of carbohydrates
• 1.7 gram of fiber
• 2.9 gram of sugar
•  0.6 gram of protein

Carrots are packed with vitamins and minerals

Carrot are packed with several essential vitamins and minerals, especially biotin, potassium, and vitamins A (from beta carotene), K1 (phylloquinone), and B6.

Additionally they are rich in:

• Vitamin A: Carrots are packed with beta carotene, which are converted into  vitamin A in your body. This nutrient is known to improve eye health  and is essential for growth, development, and proper immune function. [2]
• Vitamin K1:  vitamin K1 is important for blood coagulation and can promote bone health. Moreover these are also known as phylloquinone, [3] [4]
• Biotin: A B vitamin formerly known as vitamin H, biotin plays an important role in fat and protein metabolism. [5]
• Potassium: An essential mineral, potassium is important for blood pressure control, while improving heart health. 

Carrots are rich in antioxidants

Anti-oxidants play an important role in keeping you healthy and active. Carrots are packed with certain plant compounds like Carotenoids and Lutein.

Anti-oxidants that can be found in carrots

• Lutein: It is predominantly found in yellow and orange carrots and is important for eye health, these can also be found in many other colour full vegetable like beetroot and spinach. [6]
• Polyacetylenes: This active plant compound is proven to protect against leukemia and other cancers. [7] [8]
• Beta carotene: Orange carrots are very high in beta carotene. The absorption is better (up to 6.5-fold) if the carrots are cooked. [9] [10] [11]
• Lycopene: These are easily found in many red fruits and vegetables, including red and purple carrots, lycopene may decrease your risk of cancer and heart disease. [12]

Health benefits of carrots 

Carrots may improve eye health

Vitamin A play an important role in improving your eyesight, on other hand  low vitamin A might lead to night blindness, you can easily tackle them by eating carrot. [13]

carrots are packed with beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A is transformed in the retina, to rhodopsin, a purple pigment necessary for night vision.

Additionally studies have also found that carotenoids may also cut your risk of age-related macular degeneration.  [14] [15] [16]

Carrots May reduce risk of cancer

Several studies have found that carotenoids rich diet may lower the chances of certain cancer like prostate, colon, and stomach cancers. [17] [18] [19]

 In addition to Vitamin A and K, carrots also contain Luteolin, a flavonoid phytochemical that provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.

Additionally carrots have a natural fungal terminator called falcarinol that helps its root from fungal diseases.

Carrots may lower blood cholesterol

High cholesterol is linked to number of disease including cardiovascular diseases. But the good new is carrots may lower cholesterol levels and increase the antioxidant status of your body. [20] [21]

Additionally raw carrots are also rich in a fiber called pectin that may help lower cholesterol. This effect may also help improve your heart health. [22] [23]

Other health benefits of carrots

Here are additional 10 benefits of eating carrots.

• Carrots May Promote Skin Health
• Carrots May Enhance Hair Growth
• Carrots May Aid Weight Loss
• Carrots May Regulate Blood Pressure
• Carrots May Aid Diabetes Treatment
• Carrots Help Boost Immunity
• Carrots Can Strengthen Bones
• Carrots Are Good For The Teeth And Gums
• Carrots  May Promote Liver Health And Eliminate Toxins
• Carrots May Cleanse the Body

How To Add Carrots In Diet

Carrots are really versatile, they can be incorporated into any meal of the day!  Carrot can be cooked in soups and stews. You can add shredded carrots to salads, or dip baby carrots in hummus. Moreover roasting carrots helps to bring out their natural sweetness. 

Moreover you can also pulse them into juice and mix them with other ingredients to make smoothie. Here's an simply recipe you can try right now.

Carrot Smoothie With Orange Juice. (Serving Size: 5 Ounces)

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 55 calories |  protein 1g 2% DV  | carbohydrates 13g 4% DV | exchange other carbs 1 |  dietary fiber 1g 4% DV |  sodium 16mg 1% DV |

Ingredients

• 1 cup sliced carrots
• ½ teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 ½ cups ice cubes
• 3 (1 inch) pieces Orange peel curls

Procedure:

Start by cooking carrots in small amount of boiling water for about 15 minutes or until very tender. When they are done drain them well, and let them cool.

Once you are done toss all the fresh ingredients in a blender and pulse them until you have a desirable texture, pour in your favourite bowl, top them with your favourite garnish, and you are ready to enjoy!

Cheers! 🥂

Potential Downside Of Eating Carrots

Carrots are generally considered safe to eat but may have adverse effects in some people. As it may interact with some medications such as acitretin (Soriatane) and isotretinoin (Accutane) for the treatment of psoriasis and acne. [25] [26]

Some people are allergic to carrots. According to one study, carrots can cause pollen-related allergic reactions in up to 25% of food-allergic individuals. [27]

This may trigger swelling and breathing-related issues. Sometimes, it leads to anaphylaxis, a severe allergic shock. [28]

The Bottom Line

Carrots are the perfect option to snack on, they are crunchy, full of nutrients, low in calories, and sweet, which makes them perfect to satisfy your hunger pangs. 

Carrot are not only perfect for Improving your vision and promoting immunity. More importantly, they can also help in the treatment of chronic ailments. The only way to get all these is simply by adding carrots in your diet.

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