Raw carrots health benefits

Introduction

Luckily, the carrots are among a few vegetables which could be eaten in the raw form. Apart from the other valuable nutrients it contains, carrots’ richness in the vitamin A is its most important and popular characteristic. The other abundant vitamins in carrots are the vitamins C and K. And, we shouldn’t forget the other ingredients of carrots that are beneficial for heath in general. Those are fibers and the minerals, such as manganese and potassium which have a specific valuable effect on the bone material.

Benefits of the Carrot’s Vitamins on the Eyes

So, the vitamin K and A are irreplaceable in preventing the macular (of the part of an eye, called macula lutea) degeneration, which is the condition caused by the age factor most commonly, and which is described medically as the loss of the center of the vision field that happens slowly in degrees.

This condition must be treated since it inevitably leads to the total loss of the vision. Of course, the medical attention must be sought and the treatment must be based on the prescribed medications, however the conventional treatment is advisable to be followed by the natural remedy, in this case, by eating carrots in the fresh and raw form.

However, the vitamin A is good for improving the vision as well, because it converts itself into the substance called beta carotene in the organism. Along with the other valuable nutrients, this vitamin increases the blood flow, hence the better circulation occurs in the entire organism and, consequently, the eyes become supplied with enough blood.

Preventing Cancers with Raw Carrots

Concerning this matter, the most beneficial characteristic of this vegetable is the one of being rich in the chemical called falcarinol, which, united with the vitamin A, successfully deals with the free radicals. Those radicals are the main causes of the apparition of the malignant tumors, and since those beneficial nutrients are focused directly on treating the cause of this dangerous condition, they are able to prevent the cancerous formations of almost any part of the body.

Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruits and high blood levels of ?-carotene are associated with decreased risk of cancer. In western countries, carrot is the most important source of dietary ?-carotene. In the present study, the serum response to chronic ingestion of ?-carotene from raw carrots, carrot juice and capsules containing purified ?-carotene was studied. The subjects were 38 healthy, non-smoking female volunteers, aged 20–53 years. They were instructed to consume low-carotenoid diets for 10 days before starting the supplementation and throughout the study.

According to food frequency questionnaires, the average habitual intake of ?-carotene was 4.5 mg/day, whereas the low-carotenoid diet provided only 0.4 mg/day.
After the 10-day depletion period, the average serum ?-carotene concentration fell to 53% of the habitual level.
The participants were assigned into three groups with similar mean serum ?-carotene concentrations. Each group was supplemented for 6 weeks with approximately 12 mg of ?-carotene/day, either as raw carrots (120 g/day), carrot juice (1 dl/day) or ?-carotene capsules (2 capsules/day).
The increase in serum ?-carotene level was determined after 3 and 6 weeks of supplementation. The mean serum ?-carotene concentration increased significantly in all test groups, the response being greatest in the group receiving ?-carotene capsules.
No difference in the serum response between carrot and carrot juice was detected. However, there was a wide variation in the individual response of serum ?-carotene to supplementation, regardless of the source. Variation was especially large - ranging from a lack of response to over 8-fold increase in the serum ?-carotene concentration - in the group receiving ?-carotene capsules.

✓ Fact confirmed: Serum ?-carotene response to supplementation with raw carrots, carrot juice or purified ?-carotene in healthy non-smoking women R. Törrönen, M. Lehmusaho, S. Häkkinen, O. Hänninen, H. Mykkänen; April 1996

As the latest examinations have shown, up till the present, those annihilators of the free radicals have already been successful in decreasing the risk of getting and reducing the amount of the colon cancer, the lung cancer and the breast cancer.

Benefits of Carrots on the Skin

Apart from being beneficial for the bones, eating raw carrots is also valuable for the regeneration of the other connective tissues. This vegetable is very beneficial for the skin and hair, due to a high level of the vitamin A in it. So, very popular in cosmetic is the paste made from the blended slices of the raw carrot, a few strawberries and few cucumber chunks, which should be put on the face, and after a quarter of an hour removed with warm water.