Carrots
Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family, named after the umbrella like flower clusters that plants in this family produce. As such, carrots are related to parsnips, fennel, caraway, cumin and dill. There are over 100 different varieties that vary in size and color. In addition to orange, other varieties are white, yellow, red, and it’s original color: purple!
The carrot can trace its ancestry back thousands of years, originally having been cultivated in central Asian and Middle Eastern countries. These original carrots looked different from those that we are accustomed to today, featuring a rich purple coloring, ranging from lavender to deep eggplant. This coloration was a reflection of the anthocyanin phytochemical pigments these carrots had. In pre-Hellenic times, a yellow-rooted carrot variety appeared in Afghanistan and was further cultivated and developed into an earlier version of the carrot we know today.
Both types of carrots spread throughout the Mediterranean region and were adopted by the ancient Greeks and Romans for their medicinal use. It is known scientifically as Daucus carota, a name that can be traced back to ancient Roman writings of the 3rd century. Europeans favored the growing the orange carrots, and thus they were subsequently introduced into the North American colonies. Owing to its heightened popularity, in the early 1800s, the carrot became the first vegetable to be canned. The United States, France, England, Poland, China and Japan are among the largest producers of carrots.
Beta-carotene helps to protect vision, especially night vision. After beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the liver, it travels to the retina where it is transformed into rhodopsin--a purple pigment that is necessary for night-vision. Plus beta-carotene's powerful antioxidant actions help provide protection against macular degeneration and the development of senile cataracts --the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.
Carrots are by far one of the richest source of carotenoids--just one cup provides 16,679 IUs of beta-carotene, more than 250% of the RDA, and 3,432 REs (retinol equivalents), or roughly 686.3% the RDA for vitamin A. High carotenoid intake has been linked with a 20% decrease in postmenopausal breast cancer and an up to 50% decrease in the incidence of cancers of the bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophagus. Extensive human studies suggest that a diet including as little as one carrot per day could conceivably cut the rate of lung cancer in half.
Scientists now think that carrots' protective effects are the result of a team effort among several substances abundant in carrots, including alpha-carotene--another, less publicized carotenoid. A recent National Cancer Institute study found lung cancer occurence was higher in men whose diets did not supply a healthy intake of alpha-carotene.
Another phytonutrient has been discovered called falcarinol that may be responsible for the recognized epidemiological association between frequently eating carrots and a reduced risk of cancers.
Intake of foods such as carrots that are rich in carotenoids may be beneficial to blood sugar regulation. Research has suggested that physiological levels, as well as dietary intake, of carotenoids may be inversely associated with insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.
If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as carrots, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life. A common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency, which has a direct correlation with the development of emphysema.
significant nutritional content:
vitamins A, K, C, fiber, potassium, B6, manganese, molybdenum, B1, B3, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, carotenoids |
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FRUITS
Apples
Bananas
Coconut
Mango
Oranges
Peaches
Strawberries
VEGETABLES
Beets
Carrots
Celery
Cucumber
Garlic
Ginger
Parsley
Spinach
Spirulina
Wheatgrass |
