Carrots contain vitamin A, minerals and antioxidants such as beta-carotene, which is what gives them their orange hue. They’re versatile veggies, good eaten raw, boiled, steamed, roasted or added to other dishes as ingredients.
Carrots are called Gajar in Hindi, and are known by different names throughout the world. One thing remains the same, though – carrots are good for you, whatever name they go by.
Carrots contain vitamin A, minerals and antioxidants such as beta-carotene, which is what gives them their orange hue. They’re versatile veggies, good eaten raw, boiled, steamed, roasted or added to other dishes as ingredients.
Here’s 24 reasons to add more carrots to your diet:
1. Glowing Skin
Carrots help keep skin healthy and clear due to the vitamin C and antioxidants. Try a carrot face mask made out of grated carrot and honey for a bit of skin pampering.
2. Scars and Blemishes
Carrot juice is said to help get rid of blemishes and scars, either by drinking it or applying carrot pulp directly to the skin.
3. Anti-Aging
Carrots contain vitamin C which helps stimulate collagen production in the body. Collagen is key for maintaining skin elasticity, and it helps prevent wrinkles. Vitamin A also destroys free radicals to help prevent signs of aging.
4. Sun Protection
Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A inside the body, and it helps by repairing skin tissue and providing protection against UV rays.
5. Good for Dry Skin
Potassium deficiency can lead to dry skin. Carrots are rich in potassium, which can help keep your skin hydrated and soft.
6. Skin Ailments
The antioxidants in carrots help to treat minor skin conditions such as pimples and mild acne, rashes and dermatitis. One thing to bear in mind with carrots is that if you eat too many of them, your skin can turn yellow-orange in color temporarily!
7. Wound Healing
Carrots can be used to help heal minor wounds, such as cuts and scrapes. Apply raw or grated carrot to wounds, cuts and inflammation to soothe and heal.
8. Carrot Face Mask
2 teaspoons grated carrot
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon milk cream
A few drops olive oil
Grind the carrots to a smooth paste and add the other ingredients to it. Mix well and apply evenly over your skin after you’ve cleansed your face with a mild cleanser. Leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse away with cold water. Pat dry.
9. Carrot Facial Spray
To soothe your skin after the sun or being out in the wind and dust, use a carrot spray to refresh and revive.
Juice some fresh carrots and mix with 2 parts rose water. Put the liquid into a clean spray bottle and it’s ready to use. Simply spray wherever your skin feels like it needs a boost.
10. Hair Loss Treatment
Carrots can help prevent hair loss, as they nourish your hair with vital vitamins, which makes it stronger and shinier. Drinking carrot juice regularly can also help keep your hair healthy.
11. Stimulates Hair Growth
Drinking 3 to 4 ounces of carrot juice daily stimulates hair growth and can help make your hair thicker. Vitamin C and E can help improve the circulation in the scalp, which can promote hair growth.
12. Eye Health
Carrots are full of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the liver. This is then converted in the retina to a purple pigment called rhodopsin, which is essential for night vision.
13. Cardiovascular Care
Carrots can help protect the heart from oxidative damage, plaque formation and dangerous cholesterol elevation.
14. Could Prevent Cancer
Studies have linked carrots to a reduction in the risk of lung cancer, breast and colon cancer. Carrots are rich in falcarinol, which fights cancers by destroying the pre-cancerous cells in tumors.
15. Boosts Immune System
Carrots are packed with antioxidants and nutrients, and these give your immune system a boost. Eating carrots regularly can help keep your immune system healthy.
16. Oral Health
Carrots help to scrape off plaque and food particles, especially if you eat them raw. They also stimulate the gums, and the minerals in carrots help to kill the harmful bacteria in the mouth, which can prevent tooth decay.
17. Body Cleanser
Carrots contain large amounts of vitamin A, which helps the liver to flush out toxins from the body, and it also reduces the amount of bile and fat in the liver. The fiber in carrots helps to clean out your colon and digestive tract too.
18. Slows Aging
Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that helps to prevent and reverse the cell damage to the body from everyday life, so it can help to slow down the aging of cells.
19. Good for Women’s Health Issues
Carrot juice is beneficial especially for women. This is because the phytoestrogen in carrots can relive menstrual pain and regularizes bleeding for those with heavy periods.
It’s also good for post-menopausal women who suffer from hot flushes.
20. Helpful in Pregnancy
Carrots are good to eat in pregnancy as they help aid fetal development, reduce the risk of fetal infection, and could help prevent miscarriage. Carrots are also known to help in the production of breast milk.
21. Could Prevent Stroke
A Harvard University study showed that people who ate more than six carrots a week were less likely to suffer from strokes than those who only ate one or no carrots a month.
22. Calcium
Carrots contain calcium to help with bone development and maintenance. They are a good choice especially for those who do not or choose not to eat dairy.
23. Digestive Health
The large amount of fiber in carrots helps to regularize the bowel and aids digestion. It can also help relieve constipation and acid reflux.
24. General Health Benefits
The carotenoids in carrots help to regulate blood sugar, and avoid fluctuations. They also contain alkaline compounds which can help purify the blood and balance the acid-alkaline ratio in the body.
The potassium in carrots helps to regulate blood pressure by balancing the high levels of sodium associated with hypertension.