Health benefits of eating carrots

Carrots are often thought of as the ultimate health food. They are also good for your body’s overall health, especially that of the skin, eyes, digestive system and teeth!

Carrots eaten raw are an excellent food, but there is some research showing that cooking them may actually help to boost their nutritional content.
generally recommend eating your vegetables raw or fermented for the most nutrition, carrots may be one case where gentle cooking, such as steaming, is preferred.

--- Carrots contain beta-carotene, a pigment molecule that breaks down into two vitamin A molecules. Your body uses vitamin A to control cell growth and development. The vitamin helps your cells mature so that they can help to make up functional tissue. Vitamin A also helps fight infection -- it keeps your skin healthy to prevent pathogens from entering your system. Eating 1 cup of chopped carrots provides you with 10,605 micrograms of vitamin A, which is far more than the 900 micrograms required daily for men or 700 micrograms for women, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

--- Carrots are rich in alkaline elements, which purify and revitalize the blood while balancing the acid/alkaline ratio of the body.

--- According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one medium carrot or ½ cup of chopped carrots is considered a serving size. One serving size of carrots provides 25 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of sugars and 1 gram of protein.

--- Eating carrots contributes to your daily intake of vitamin B-6, or pyridoxine. This vitamin aids in the function of your nervous system. It allows your brain to make neurotransmitters, the chemicals that nerve cells use to communicate. Getting enough pyridoxine also helps your body make hemoglobin, a protein your red blood cells need to carry oxygen. Adults ages 19 to 50 need 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B-6 daily, according to the Linus Pauling Institute, while men and women ages 51 or older need 1.7 or 1.5 milligrams, respectively. Each cup of chopped carrots contains 0.18 milligram of vitamin B-6.

--- Carrot extract also has anti-inflammatory properties and provided anti-inflammatory benefits that were significant even when compared to anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Celebrex.

--- Carrots, like most vegetables, have significant amounts of dietary fiber in those orange roots, and fiber is one of the most important elements in maintaining good digestive health. Fiber adds bulk to stool, which helps it to pass smoothly through the digestive tract, and it also stimulates peristaltic motion and the secretion of gastric juices. Altogether, this reduces the severity of conditions like constipation, and protects your colon and stomach from various serious illnesses, including colorectal cancer. Fiber also boosts heart health by helping to eliminate excess LDL cholesterol from the walls of arteries and blood vessels.

-----> Carrots are best stored in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag. If the greens are still attached to the top of the carrot, remove them before storing to prevent the greens from drawing out moisture and nutrients from the roots. Carrots should be peeled and washed before consuming.