8 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE EATING CARROT

The first thing we need to know about carrot is that they are not fruits but vegetables. In botany, fruits are described as the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (Source: Wikipedia). Therefore, the part of a plant that develops from the flower is called a fruit while the parts that develop from the remaining part of the plant that is, either stem, leave, or root is called vegetables and carrots are root vegetables (I’m sure a lot of us didn’t know that lol but that is settled now right?). The reason I would be including carrot in our fruit series is that they are one of the easiest vegetable consumed by people worldwide especially in my side of the world which is Nigeria and are easily accessible to us here. Carrots are consumed in so many ways either raw or cooked and added to so many dishes and for that, it is just fair for me to enlighten you on what you have to gain by consuming this vegetable.

• They are rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene. Carrots also contain other carotenoids which are alpha-carotene, lutein, anthocyanin, and lycopene. These antioxidants are responsible for the varieties of colours that carrots have such as purple, green, orange, yellow, white, and red. But the most familiar ones are the orange carrots which contain very high beta-carotene.

• Beta-carotene in carrots when eaten is converted to vitamin A in the liver and a deficiency of vitamin A in the body can cause night blindness. A medium-sized carrot produces a reasonable amount of vitamin A when eaten and this can help to promote good eyesight. Which makes carrot a great food for eye health.
• Studies have shown that carrots may help to reduce the risk of various cancers such as colon, breast, lung, and prostate cancer. This is because carrots are packed with a lot of antioxidants and phytochemicals which help to fight inflammation in the body. Some other studies show that they may also help fight against leukemia. But more research is needed on this.
• Carrots nourish dry skin. The deficiency of potassium in the body can lead to dry skin, a carrot is rich with potassium and this can help to prevent scaly dry skin.
• Carrots help protect the overall health of your skin. It gives your skin a healthy glow, it helps to protect skin from the sun, It also aids wound healing. This is due to the presence of vitamin C and beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the body. These vitamins help to repair skin tissues and protect the skin against UV rays. This is a major reason why carrots are major ingredients in some beauty soaps and creams
• Carrot help to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss. Carrots contain a lot of vitamins A and C and these vitamins are great for the growth of healthy thick hair. I’m sure some carrot lovers are really happy about this.
• Carrots are low in calories, as a medium-sized carrot contains approximately about 25g of calories. It can serve as a great snack for those on a weight loss journey.
• Carrots may help improve bone health and also maintain healthy teeth and gums and this is because of the presence of calcium in carrots which make them an awesome benefit for this

VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH CARROT CAN BE ADDED TO YOUR DIET

• It can be eaten raw as a snack
• It can be chopped and added to cooked foods like rice, pasta, or sauce
• It can be chopped and added to your salads
• It can be added as an ingredient to baked food
• It can be juiced or blended to a smoothie

There are cases where people are allergic to some compounds in carrot, so if you are in this position, please reduce your intake of carrot or restrain from it totally. It’s also best to properly check the ingredients when trying to purchase a product. And also an overconsumption of carrot can lead to discoloration of the skin by causing a slight orange tint on the skin. Apart from that carrot is a fun, sweet and crunchy vegetable which can be taken by both children and adults.