Naturally sugary, delicious and crunchy, carrots are healthy additions you can make to the vegetable list of your diet.
Indeed, these root vegetables come with wholesome health benefiting compounds such as beta-carotenes, falcarinol, vitamin-A, minerals, and antioxidants in ample amounts.
Botanically they are the taproots belong to the Apiaceae or umbelliferous family in the genus; Daucus.
Scientific name: Daucus carota.
The other close Apiaceae members include parsnips, parsley, dill, cumin, etc.
Daucus carota species cultivated across the world for their prized taproots.
This biennial plant bears flowers during the second season.
However, in general, the whole plant is harvested much prematurely without a wait for the bloom when its root reaches about an inch in diameter, tender and juicy.
Carrots vary widely in color and shape depending upon the cultivar types.
Oriental taproots are long, featuring a flat top end with tapering, tail-like lower parts.
They are winter season crops in many areas of Asia.
European carrots, on the other hand, are cylindrical with rounded ends.
Also, European varieties feature bright orange color in contrast to saffron colored Asian cultivars.
Health benefits of carrots
Sweet and crunchy carrots are notably rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and dietary fiber.
They provide only 41 calories per 100 g, a negligible amount of fat and no cholesterol.
They are an exceptionally rich source of carotenes and vitamin-A. 100 g fresh carrot contains 8,285 µg of beta-carotene and 16,706 IU of vitamin-A.
Studies have found that flavonoid compounds in carrots may offer to protect from skin, lung and oral cavity cancers.
In the humans, carotenes convert into vitamin-A in the liver cells.
Beta-carotene is the important carotene type present in these roots.
Beta-carotene is one of the powerful natural antioxidants that protect the human body from harmful oxygen- derived free radicals.
Also, it also carries out all the functions of vitamin-A such as maintaining good eye health, reproduction (sperm production), maintenance of epithelial integrity, growth and development.
Carrots are rich in polyacetylene antioxidant, falcarinol.
A research study conducted by scientists at the University of Newcastle on laboratory animals has found that falcarinol in carrots may help fight against cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells in the tumors.
Fresh roots are also good in vitamin-C; provide about 9% of RDA. Vitamin-C is water soluble antioxidant.
It helps the body maintain healthy connective tissue, teeth, and gum.
Its anti-oxidant property helps the human body protect from diseases and cancers by scavenging action on harmful free radicals.
Also, they are exceptionally rich in many B-complex groups of vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc., that acts as co-factors to enzymes during substrate metabolism in the body.
Further, They also compose healthy levels of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.
Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium.
The human body utilizes manganese as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
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