Health benefits of carrots: The crunchy power food

There is a slight difference between the nutritional value of raw and cooked carrots. Raw carrots will provide you with almost same antioxidants found in cooked carrots.

However, scientists have proved that carrots release more antioxidants when cooked. While cooking carrots may be slightly better, raw carrots are great addition to your diet because they can be cleaned and eaten immediately.

Carrots are low in calorie, without any fat and contain significant doses of certain vitamins as well as minerals. The mild flavor of carrots makes them a versatile food item to boost the nutrition of several other recipes.

Rich in Fiber

One cup of chopped carrots contains 3.6 gm of dietary fiber which is really a good start in fulfilling a person’s daily need of fiber. Fiber helps to keep your intestines and arteries clean & clear because fiber cannot be digested. Healthy intestines and arteries mean you are less prone to constipation, hemorrhoids and cardiovascular disease. Fiber also regulates your blood sugar level.

Vitamin A & Beta-Carotene

Forget about vitamin A pills when you have this crunchy power food in your food item. Only one cup serving of chopped carrots provides 1,069 micrograms of vitamin A. Along with eyes, vitamin A promotes our teeth, skin and bone health. Beta-carotene is another important nutrient for human which is abundant in carrot. An optimum balance of beta-carotene in human body can actually prevent our skin’s damage caused by UV rays.

Vitamin K

One cup of chopped carrots provides 16.9 micrograms of vitamin K. This volume is nearly about 20% of your daily requirement. Vitamin K plays a vital role in clotting your blood. In addition, this vitamin supports your bones and minimizes the risk of broken bones, fractures or osteoporosis.

Carrots help in preventing cancer

Medical researches have shown that carrots reduce the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer. Two important elements namely falcarinol and falcarindiol act like anti-cancer properties. Falcarinol is a naturally occurring pesticide in carrots that protects its roots from fungal infection. On the other hand falcarindiol is available in carrots both in raw form and cooked form.

Considering all health benefits one should eat at least one carrot ever day. This will keep you healthier than ever. Always try to have firm and bright orange colored carrots. It will ensure that carrots are containing all types of vitamins as well as nutrients.

Usually carrots are free of rotting for longer period compared to other vegetables. So you can easily use carrots in different forms of salad. Altogether carrots are simple to include in your dietary habit but it will bring countless of benefits to your health.

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