Featured, Health
By Benprince Ezeh
CARROTS are often regarded as the ultimate health food. Children have been told over the years by their parents “to eat your carrots, they are good for you”. Often they will say that “carrots will help you see in the dark”.
It is known that carrot were cultivated thousands of years ago in present day Afghanistan. It was a small, forked purple or yellow root with a bitter, woody flavour, quite different from the carrot we know today.
Purple, red, yellow, and white carrots were grown long before the appearance of the sweet, crunchy, and aromatic orange carrot that is now popular. This type was developed and stabilized by Dutch growers in the 16th and 17th centuries.
There are two seasons a year for carrots, and local carrots are available in the Spring and Fall. However, they can be found in supermarkets all year and they can be bought fresh, frozen, canned, or pickled.
Evidence suggests that eating more antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, can help reduce the risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Carrots are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Jennifer Ani, a nutritionist, said that variety of dietary carotenoids have been shown to have anti-cancer effects, due to their antioxidant power in reducing free radicals in the body. “Studies have found a possible link between diets rich in carotenoids and a lower risk of prostate cancer, but more evidence is needed to confirm whether the link is causal.
“Carrots contain vitamin A, its deficiency can lead to xerophthalmia, a progressive eye disease that can damage normal vision and result in night blindness, or inability to see in low light or darkness,” she said.
Meanwhile, records gathered from the National Institutes of Health, NIH, stated that lack of vitamin A is one of the main preventable causes of blindness in children. Vitamin A deficiency is rare in the United States, but eating carrots contributes to vitamin A intake and helps prevent the deficiency. So, in a way, carrots do help you see in the dark.
However, most people are unlikely to experience any significant positive changes in their vision from eating carrots, unless they already lack vitamin A
BE
JULY 22, 2019 15:38 GMT
Tags: Health benefits of carrots
