Feb 11, 2011

CARROT – A NUTRITIONAL HERO


Carrots store a goldmine of nutrients. No other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A. This is a truly versatile vegetable and an excellent source of calcium pectate, an extraordinary pectin fiber that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Carrots are rich in antioxidants beta carotene, alpha carotene, phytochemicals and glutathione, calcium and potassium, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, folic acid and biotin. Finally they also contain copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and sulphur - better than a wonder drug!! Carrot greens can be eaten and are high in vitamin K, which is lacking in the carrot itself.

Carrots also contain, in smaller amounts, essential oils, carbohydrates and nitrogenous composites. They are well-known for their sweetening, antianaemic, healing, diuretic, remineralizing and sedative properties. In order to assimilate the greatest quantity of the nutrients present in carrots, it is important to chew them well - they are the exception to the rule - they are more nutritious cooked than raw.

PREVENT HEART DISEASES: High cholesterol is a major factor for heart disease. Since regular consumption of carrots reduces cholesterol level it is good to prevent heart related problems. The soluble fiber in carrots (calcium pectate) help lower blood-cholesterol levels by binding with and eliminating bile acids, triggering cholesterol to be drawn out of the bloodstream to make more bile acids. Cholesterol level reduces if seven ounces of raw carrots a day is taken for three weeks.

PREVENT CANCER: The average carrot contains about three milligrams of Beta-carotene. High carotenoid intake has been linked with decrease in the incidence of cancers of the bladder, cervix, lung, prostate, colon, larynx, breast and esophagus. Falcarinol in carrots are largely responsible for their anticancer benefits. Falcarinol is a natural pesticide found in carrots that protects carrots from fungal diseases. In the human diet, carrots are virtually the only source of this compound.

BETTER VISION: The retina of the eye needs vitamin-A to function; a deficiency of vitamin A causes night blindness. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which gets converted to vitamin A in the liver and travels to the retina where it is transformed into rhodopsin, a purple pigment that is necessary for night-vision. Additionally, 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.

STROKE: A carrot a day reduces stroke risk by 68 percent. Many studies have strengthened the “carrot effect” on brain.

DIABETES: Carrot is good for blood sugar regulation because of the presence of carotenoids in carrot. Carotenoids inversely affect insulin resistance and thus lower blood sugar.

GOOD SOURCE OF FIBER: Carrots contain rich amounts of fiber which is very essential for digestion of food consumed in the body. However, the fiber in carrots can trap the beta-carotene, making it difficult for your body to extract. By cooking them slightly, you free the beta-carotene from the fiber, which allows your body to absorb it better.

ANTI AGING: Carrots contain tons of beta-carotene, which works as an antioxidant that helps the body to combat cell damage done to the body by impurities in the bloodstream and the like such as chemicals or even oxygen. It also slows down the ageing of cells and various negative impacts associated with ageing.

DENTAL HEALTH: Carrots can even help to clean your teeth, and are a great way to keep your mouth clean after a meal. They act as natural abrasives, helping to remove sticky debris from the teeth and stimulate the gums. They also trigger lots of saliva, which helps to scrub away stains on your teeth. Minerals in carrots help to kill germs in the mouth and prevent tooth decay.

SKIN BENEFITS: Beauty conscious people are using it for decades as a way to enhance beauty of skin. Carrot juice has powerful cleansing properties that are effective in detoxifying the liver, thus overall effective for acne which is caused by toxicity of the blood. Carrot juice is also helpful for treating uneven skin tones due to pigmentation. The high quality of vitamin A and other rich nutrients in carrot juice efficiently nourish the skin, preventing dry skin, psoriasis and other skin blemishes.

PROMOTE LUNG HEALTH: The relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo (a) pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency. Those who start smoking at an early age are more likely to become vitamin A deficient and develop complications associated with cancer and emphysema. Thus regular intake of carrot provides more vitamin A and prevents from these disease conditions.

HYPERTENSION: Carrot contains bulk of folic acid, a group of vitamin B, which has good effect to fight against free radicals (substances that cause cancer) in our body. The lignin found in carrot too, helps to strengthen our immune system to fight against cancerous cells. Potash succinate, its anti hypertensive drug properties may also help to reduce the blood pressure. Therefore, it is also regarded as a good diet for hypertension’s patient.

LIVER HEALTH: Drinking carrot juice is thought to be extremely beneficial for the liver due to Vitamin A's cleansing effects. Vitamin A reduces bile and fat in the liver. However, for the liver to reap the maximum benefits of Vitamin A, it is said that drinking carrot juice needs be done regularly rather than occasionally. The liver can store Vitamin A.

VITAMIN E: Another nutrient in carrot, which deserves mention, is Vitamin E, the muscle vitamin. It promotes the efficiency of the entire muscular system by the effective utilization of oxygen. Drinking carrot juice is also thought to be good for reproductive health due to the Vitamin E content.

Other major minerals present in carrot include chlorine, sulphur, phosphorous and magnesium. Chlorine present in carrot is vital for the proper functioning of liver. It provides a cleansing and antiseptic effect on the digestive and circulatory systems. The three minerals calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are essential for ensuring the strength of bones. Phosphorus is essential for the health of skin, hair, nails and nerves. The vital magnesium content present in fresh carrot enables mental development, digestion of fats and the metabolism of mineral salts such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. Sulphur also forms a major ingredient of insulin, the hormonal function of which is to convert carbohydrates into energy.

Carrot is also helpful in the following cases: Obesity, poisoning of the blood, gum disease, insomnia, inflamed kidney, liver, gallbladder, Alzheimer's disease, colitis, ulcer and painful urination.

Carrot can enhance the quality of breast milk.

Carrot juice when taken everyday prevent bodily infections and is claimed to be valuable for the adrenal glands (the small endocrine glands situated above the kidneys).

Carrot can help increase menstrual flow.

Carrots have antiseptic qualities and therefore, can be used as laxative, vermicide and as remedy for liver conditions.

Carrot is also believed to improve impotence (lower sexual drive), sexual dysfunction, long term cough besides strengthening kidney and eliminating excessive wind and cold in our body.

NOTE: The only time that you should be careful drinking carrot juice is if you have congestive heart failure or diabetes, or any kind of condition that makes you retain fluid.

1 comment:

  1. I have read your article really helpful for cancer patients and i have also getting knowledge about cancer patients.
    donate for cancer patients

    ReplyDelete