Properties and benefits of carrots, a cure-all for health. 10 reasons to bring them to the table often.
Carrots should never be missing from our diet. They help us tan, reduce the risk of stroke and prolong life. Raw or cooked, carrots provide the body with a lot of vitamins.
PROPERTY AND BENEFITS OF CARROTS
They are a simple vegetable, which we often waste with indifference. Yet long, long time, the carrots are considered a real panacea, primarily for the view. As early as the 1940s, for example, a famous American newspaper invited truck drivers to eat carrots before setting off. To better see the road, in fact. And during the Second World War, the British aviators, according to various journalistic reports from the front, managed to defeat the German forces thanks to a diet based on carrots and blueberries (this fruit also has a positive effect on sight).
BENEFITS OF CARROTS
Legends? Exaggeration? What really matters, and here it no longer speaks neither history nor news, but only science, is the fact that carrots really do good for the eyes. And not only that. We see, in fact, what are the best properties of carrots and what advantages they give to our health: all good reasons to eat them often and not waste them.
They serve the eyes. The scientific explanation is simple: they are rich in beta-carotene, a pro-vitamin that turns into a vitamin once it has entered the body. And the vitamin is A, called precisely retinol, which is essential for the proper functioning of retinal cells (hence the name retinol).
They make you live more. According to American research, blood levels of alpha-carotene are inversely associated with the risk of death. Therefore, eating fresh vegetables rich in antioxidants, including carrots, prolongs life.
They also do well cooked. Unlike many vegetables, both raw and cooked carrots offer the body multiple nutritional properties. If we want to better absorb the beta-carotene present in carrots, we can eat them cooked and seasoned with a little olive oil. In fact, the body assimilates it better after short cooking.
They are colorful and nutritious. In nature, there are different types of carrots in various colors. Each of them stands out for its contribution of precious substances for our body. The classic orange carrot is rich in vitamin A, the purple one contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants. Finally, the yellow one contains mainly lutein.
They make you tan. Eating carrots favors tanning because they are considered effective natural bronzers. Thanks to the beta-carotene content, which stimulates melanin, we can more quickly and our skin is protected from ultraviolet rays.
Protect the skin. Consuming red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables regularly relax the skin and give it a more rosy appearance. This is confirmed by a study carried out by Scottish researchers, published in the scientific journal Plos One.
Strengthen the bones. Carrot juice, in addition to being refreshing, makes our bones stronger. Thanks to the presence of potassium and vitamin K, carrots favor the formation of the calcium bond, very useful also in the case of fractures.
Reduce bad cholesterol. Those who eat carrots at least once a week have a lower risk of stroke. According to a study conducted at Harvard University on a sample of adults, those who ate more than six carrots a week were less likely to develop a stroke than those who ate only one a month or less.
They are anti-inflammatory. The carrot is also an excellent anti-inflammatory, which is useful in cases of ulcer, colitis, gum and renal inflammation. In all these cases, it helps to alleviate inflammation and promote well-being.
They help the intestine. Those suffering from intestinal disorders find a valuable ally in carrots. Their consumption improves intestinal transit and at the same time reveals itself, in the case of cooked carrots, an excellent remedy against diarrhea.