Why Include Carrots In Your Diet?

Although they are well known for their contribution of beta-carotene, carrots have many other benefits for our overall health. They should therefore be an integral part of our diet.

Carrot is a very healthy vegetable and an important element to add to a healthy and balanced diet. Including carrots in the diet will bring you many benefits, thanks to its supply of essential nutrients.

Among the varieties of carrots are white, yellow and even purple carrots. However, orange carrots are the best known and most common.

Their pleasant and fresh taste makes them easy to include in a wide range of recipes, whether stews, soups or desserts.

Nutritional properties of carrots

As a percentage of their weight, carrots contain 90% water, 7% carbohydrates, almost 1 gram of vegetable protein and almost 3 grams of fiber. In addition, they are rich in minerals such as:

• Potassium
• Sodium
• Phosphorus
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Zinc
• Iodine
• Selenium

In terms of vitamins, carrots contain good amounts of vitamins C and A, as well as vitamins of group B (B3, B6, B1, B2, folic acid or vitamin B9). Finally, the caloric value of carrots is 35 kcal per 100 grams.

With all of its nutrients, carrots provide important health benefits. Below we show you some of the most notable.

Avoids eye problems

This is the most famous beneficial effect of the carrot. Its high content of vitamin A helps prevent eye problems which, logically, will negatively affect eyesight.

Among these problems, carrot prevents cataracts, degeneration of the macula or night blindness.

Of course, carrots cannot cure problems like myopia or astigmatism, but their beneficial effects on the eyes can prevent a host of problems.

Prevents cardiovascular disease

Including carrots in your diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 32%. This is due to the antioxidant properties and vitamins present in this vegetable.

It facilitates the cleaning of the arteries and prevents the accumulation of fatty plaques.

Improves bone health

Carrots are rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamin C. Thus, by including them in your diet, you promote better absorption of calcium, as well as good reconstruction and maintenance of bones and teeth.

This will prevent possible fractures and loss of collagen, as it will help you increase the resistance of these parts of the body.

Include carrot for good cholesterol control

In addition to the beneficial effects of carrots on cardiovascular health, this vegetable helps the body to reduce excess cholesterol in the blood.

This is due to its high content of soluble fiber, especially pectin, which prevents the accumulation of fat in the walls of the arteries. It also promotes the elimination of this fat and the reduction of blood pressure.

Benefits against constipation

As mentioned above, including carrot in your diet will give you a considerable amount of fiber.

These nutrients are very beneficial for constipation, and their high mineral content will also help prevent and reduce upset stomachs. Carrot is therefore a highly recommended food for people suffering from gastritis.

Include carrot to prevent the onset of cancer and tumors

Cooked whole carrots help improve absorption of falcarinol in the digestive tract. This compound protects our body from attack by various types of fungi, which could lead to the appearance of certain tumors.

On the other hand, including the raw carrot helps prevent serious problems like breast cancer.

Diuretic properties

The high water content of carrots and their wide variety of mineral salts help break down kidney stones. This makes the carrot a very common element in purifying diets.

For all these reasons, including carrots in your diet will bring you a lot of beneficial effects and be an abundant source of vitamins and minerals.

Like many other vegetables, this food is a common ingredient in any healthy dish and an essential part of a balanced diet.