The carrot is an herbaceous plant belonging to Umbrelliferae. This vegetable is grown mainly for its roots properties which have lots of nutrients and healing features.
The carrot is particularly rich in carotenes and vitamin A. One ounce of fresh carrots contains 8285 cg of beta-carotene and 16701 IU of vitamin A. Recent researches state that these substances can increase the protection towards some kinds of cancers: prostate, colon and stomach.
A research from 2012 suggests that women that assume many carotenes have a minor risk to develop the breast cancer.
Moreover, vitamin A helps also the liver to get rid from toxins. An Anglo-Danish research published on the “Journal of agricultural and food chemistry” advices a carrot a day to defend ourselves from cancer.
The carrot, thanks to the vitamin A and to the beta-carotene, it is indicated against eye issues such as cataract and other eye sicknesses. The individuals with less content of vitamin A in fact have more chance to develop dusk blindness.
According to a research made in 1984, this sickness can improve if we consume food rich in vitamin A.
According to many researches, the carotenoids can reduce the risk of aging macular degeneration.
This vegetable has a high content of lutein, a, anti-oxidative compost that protects the eye against harmful sun rays. A research made in 1994 has underlines that lutein is associated to a reduced risk to develop the macular degeneration.
The carrot juice, if consumed daily, can improve the quality of breast milk and has anti-inflammatory properties. The carrot, however, has other properties. It can regulate the quantity of sugar in the blood and, thanks to its fibres content, can bring benefits to the colon and contribute to keep it healthy. The carrot is helpful also against gingival diseases, insomnia, kidney inflammation, liver and gallbladder, colitis, ulcer and Alzheimer’s disease.
The sedentary life and sitting for hours in front of the laptop or the TV, pollution and high fat feeding, are all factors that contribute in increasing the vitamin A and beta-carotene body requirements.
Since from ancient times, the carrot has always been considered a natural remedy against the skin diseases. In fact beta-carotene and vitamin A are the essential vitamins for the skin.
Many issues related to the skin such as the early onset of wrinkles or excessive acne, dry skin and difficulty in sunbathing can be easily depending in an insufficient intake of this vitamin.
There are many varieties of carrots in different colours: black, purple, yellow, white. These carrots are present in nature since ages, the classic orange carrots are the product of mutations to yellow carrots.