33 Benefits of Carrots and Carrot Juice

Carrots are considered rabbit food according to most people. There are plenty of iconic pictures of rabbits eating carrots, especially those pertaining to Bugs Bunny.

However, carrots are a great food for people, too. Most people think carrots are great for the eyes, which really is not an untruth. This truism does not entice people to add carrots to their diets more often, though.

It is really sad that carrots are not consumed more by the average person. They are full of plenty of vitamins and nutrients that are required in most diets.

Rabbits are really on to something by consuming so many carrots. They are great for a munching snack, though they are even better to be added to other dishes, too.

There are so many health benefits to eating carrots and drinking carrot juice. At the same time, they are affordable and can be added to many recipes with ease.

Perhaps rabbits are onto to something when it comes to eating carrots. After all, Bugs Bunny seems to be rather slim and trim, and he eats on carrots all of the time. HE also seems to have great eyesight as well.

Based on this popular visage of carrots, they are a great addition to any diet. They do not have to be only consumed as a small snack coated in salad dressing.

Carrots, without a doubt, are one of my favorite vegetables to include in many dishes.

Some of my family members are a little prejudiced against carrots because of their seemingly bland flavor.

However, they and other people are in for a rude awakening when they realize how many different dishes actually contain carrots.

We are not simply talking about carrot cake, either. There are so many ways to consume carrots, and I find a great fondness for them in most realms of cooking.

What Exactly are Carrots?

Carrots are a root vegetable that is generally assumed to be orange in color. However, they come in various colors, including purple, black, white, yellow, and red.

They have been domesticated from a wild form called Daucus corota, which is native to both Europe and southwestern Asia.

There are suspicions that Persians originally cultivated carrots for their seeds and leaves instead of the root portion that we are used to eating today.

Today, carrots have been selectively grown for their size and to have a more appealing palate.

It takes about three months for carrots to mature before being ready for harvesting.

It is worth noting that carrots contain high levels of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which means they are a great source of Vitamins K and B6. These factors do assist eyes in many ways, especially in heightening night vision.

There are several different types of carrots available outside of what Americans typically see between standard carrots and baby carrots. There are chantenay carrots, which have a more vigorous girth and foliage.

They have broad shoulders and a blunt tip. They are rather pale in color at their core, so they are mostly used in processing applications. Danvers carrots have stronger foliage than chantenay carrots, and they are mostly shaped in a conical way with a well-defined shoulder.

Imperator carrots have higher sugar content, and they also have long, slender roots that taper to a pointed tip.

Nantes carrots, on the other hand, are a little bit more sparse in foliage, and they are more cylindrical in shape with a blunt tip, more so than Imperator types. They are known for their high yielding abilities.

A History of Carrots

This root vegetable is one of the most cultivated in history. It is known for being grown in temperate climates throughout various parts of the world. The original, wild carrot looks nothing like the carrots we know today as they are white in color.

There are many records in Ancient Rome and Greece that document the existence of this colored carrot. Today, these carrots are used more for animal feed and as a novelty crop.

On the other hand, the types of carrot we are used to seeing today were derived from yellow varieties.

As stated previously, the earliest records of carrots date as far back as Persia and other parts of Asia Minor.

The first appearance of carrots is from the 10^th century. These carrots were either white or purple in color, and they were a rather thin root.

However, the purple shade is assumed to be a mutation variety. The first note of cultivation and storage of carrots comes from an area that is now Afghanistan from about 1,100 years ago.

However, the seeds from wild carrots date back 5,000 years ago to various parts of Europe. These wild varieties are still found in various parts of the world today, though domesticated types are more popular.

Earlier forms of ancient cultures are known for using carrots in various ways. They were used as a herb and as a type of medicine. They were not used in the conventional sense that is rather popular today until several centuries later.

Domestication is what turned carrots into the shape and taste that we are familiar with today. They can be planted and harvested at any time of year, even during winter.

Many things have been improved upon with the carrot through domestication, including color, taste, and shape. One of the key tasks domestication focused on was lowering the bitterness found in traditional carrots.

Purple carrots, as stated previously, are more familiar to areas surrounding Afghanistan. Specifically, they could be found in the area between the Himalayan and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.

Therefore, these varieties can also be found, historically, in parts of Russia, India, Pakistan, and Anatolia.

This carrot is most likely the one that spread to Mediterranean parts of Europe between the 11^th and 14^th centuries.

Eventually, they moved to other parts of Asia like China and Japan between the 14^th and 17^th centuries.

The carrot we know, today is assumed to come from these purple mutants and other yellow varieties found throughout the Mediterranean regions of Europe.

Slowly, they spread westward throughout Europe, especially when Arabs occupied pain in the 12^th century. They reached England by the 15^th century, and yet they were still purple or yellow in color during this time.

Many people preferred yellow carrots since they did not release their anthocyanins during cooking, which made their taste a little less bitter.

It was not until the 16^th century when Dutch growers created the orange carrots full of carotene based on yellow kinds that we are so familiar with today.

Carrots were used as a food crop as early as the 10^th century in the Iranian Plateau when it was part of the Persian Empire.

However, carrots grew exponentially in popularity over coming centuries. They were so popular with the Dutch that land growers fought over landraces for the Long Orange and Horn types that we have become familiar with today.

What are Carrots Good For?

It is important to note that carrots are a major part of food consumption throughout various parts of the world. Many cultures benefit from the beta-carotene found in modern carrots, which is the reason why they are so great for eyes, especially for night vision.

It really is not a coincidence that carrots and carotene sound like one another. Beta-carotene cannot be made by the body, so it must be absorbed from foods. This nutrient is especially important because the liver translates beta-carotene into Vitamin A.

The beta-carotene found in carrots comes from more than 600 carotenoids, which is the same reason why egg yolks are yellow, tomatoes are orange or red, and most vegetables remain a bright green color.

Carrots are also known for their ultraviolet protective properties. These aspects play a great role in preventing things like heart disease and stroke.

It can also be used as a salve for cuts and scrapes, which means that skin can remain youthful. These same aspects also help the colon to remain clean by flushing out toxins from the body.

It is also important to note that carrots contain calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which means they are especially important for growing and healing bones into a strong structure.

At the same time, these nutrients play a key role in straightening and strengthening teeth. Magnesium, in particular, is also great for strong mental development.

Nutritional Value of Carrots

Carrots and juice made from them have many nutritional aspects that people simply do not realize or take advantage of in the long run.

These nutrients cannot really be found much else anywhere, so here are a few things to consider about carrots in order to add them to your diet on a more routine basis.

Nutritional Facts about Carrots

Carrots generally offer many nutritional benefits. As stated previously, carrots are not widely used in many people’s typical diets outside of a snack or carrot cake.

People most likely do not realize that it can be juiced, too. At the same time, raw carrots do make a great addition to any diet; even if that is the most common way they are consumed.

They offer many nutritional benefits that can hardly beignored, and these benefits include the following vitamins and minerals:

Nutritional Facts about Carrot Juice

People rarely realize that carrot juice is a great way to consume carrots and reap the benefits that they offer. This juice can be made at home, or it can be purchased in cans.

Obviously, the kind found at home is far better than the canned variety as it offers more nutrients since they are not over processed.

Research indicates that carrot juice can be a great way to fight off many illnesses. More often than not, freshly made carrot juice has many of the same nutrients as raw, whole carrots. Some of the benefits carrot juice offers are as follows:

Calories in Carrots and Carrot Juice

Carrots and their juice really do not contain many calories, Carrot juice contains about 94 calories per cup, whereas a cup of chopped, raw carrots contain about 52 calories.

Most of these calories, in both cases, are not from fat, so they are not hollow calories. They are rather filling and beneficial.

Consumption of Carrots

As mentioned previously, one of the main ways carrots are consumed is as a snack dipped into some sort of salad dressing. Another popular method of consuming carrots is in the form of cake.

However, in both cases, there are many additional fats and sugars that are added to this root that is not really necessary.

There are many carrots consumed around the world. In mainland China alone, almost 16,929,000 tons of carrots are consumed a year.

The United States pales in comparison to this number at 1,290,285 tons as of 2013. In total, almost 37,226,640 carrots are consumed worldwide as indicated from statistics in a 2013 study.

In the United States, there are a few key producers of carrots. The most common areas of production are found in Texas, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, though California produces its fair share of carrots, too.

Carrots also rank as the ninth most popular vegetable crop in the United States, which garners about $70,500,00.00 annually.

Health Benefits of Carrots and Carrot Juice

There are so many health benefits that can be reaped from consuming carrots and carrot juice. These benefits are plenty of reasons why carrots need to be added more often to a daily diet for the average American.

1. Carrots are great at preventing heart disease. A recent study reveals that carrots help to drop cholesterol levels by an average of 11 percent if seven ounces of carrots are consumed every day for three weeks.

   Since cholesterol plays a key role in heart disease, the regular consumption of carrots is rather important. Therefore, carrots help to reduce concerns about heart attacks and strokes by at least one third.

2. Carrots are especially great at reducing strokes by almost 68 percent. This root performs this task by stimulating the brain, so carrots are a great dietary addition for stroke victims, too, in order to help improve the brain function and to help it repair the damage.
3. When your blood pressure starts to climb, eat some carrots or drink some carrot juice. Since carrots are so rich in potassium, they can help to relieve tension in blood vessels and arteries, which helps to improve blood flow and circulation.

   Therefore, organ function boosts greatly, so various types of stress on the body lessens over time, especially stressors on the cardiovascular system.

   Since blood pressure is also linked to heart disease, it adds more benefits to avoiding things like heart attacks and strokes in the long run.

4. Carrots are also great producers of things like antiseptic and antibacterial agents, so it can also serve to boost the immune system as well, which is something that is highly coveted during flu seasons.
5. It goes without saying that another reason why carrots are so great at boosting the immune system is because they contain a great deal of Vitamin C, which stimulates white blood cell activity to help fight infections.
6. Another factor worth mentioning is how much dietary fiber can be found in carrots.

   This aspect makes consuming raw carrots a must for people who struggle with digestive concerns.

   Carrots stimulate the digestive tract and protect it from many diseases, including thigs like colorectal cancer.

7. People who face concerns with constipation will also find great relief from consuming carrots. They work as a great laxative in a natural way. Furthermore, carrots are also a great source of vermicides, which can be a remedy for various liver conditions.
8. Fiber is another active ingredient in preventing heart disease because it eliminates excess LDL cholesterol from artery and blood vessel walls.
9. As eluded to previously, carrots are great for lowering cancer risk, especially lung cancer.

   The beta-carotene found in carrots is the essential factor in this task. British researchers have found that people who consume between 1.7 and 2.7 milligrams of beta-carotene per day were able to reduce their chances of lung cancer by almost 40 percent.

   It is worth noting, therefore, that carrots contain about 3 milligrams of beta-carotene on their own, so consuming one, standard-sized carrot per day is more than enough to obtain these results.

10. Additionally, people who consume raw carrots are able to reduce their chances of breast cancer by five to eight times totally.
11. Specifically, leukemia can be reduced by consuming carrots, according to a 2011 study.
12. The Vitamin A found in the body that is converted from beta-carotene helps to lower the chances of macular degeneration, a common eye disease in the elderly that impairs the macula’s function. Carrots can lower this risk by almost 40 percent.
13. People who consume carrots are less likely to experience dry corneas, corneal ulcers, and retinal damage because of the Vitamin A found in this root.
14. At the same time, the beta-carotene found in carrots can help to improve eyesight in dim lighting, which means that low-light and night vision are both improved with ease due to the conversion of beta-carotene to Vitamin A.
15. Many of the compounds found in carrots provide many mineral antioxidants, which mean that they can stimulate the gums by producing more saliva.

    This process helps to rid the mouth of bacteria and foreign bodies, thus reducing the chance of oral health risks including things like cavities.

16. The carotenoids found in this delicious vegetable are also great at helping to regulate blood sugar, so it can be a crucial addition to diets for diabetics.

    At the same time, carrots help to inversely affect insulin resistance, which is another factor that helps to lower blood sugar. In short, carrots help to regulate the amount of insulin and sugar that the body metabolizes.

17. Very few people realize that carrots are great for the skin. The oil found in carrots helps to heal dry skin by making skin firmer, smoother, and softer.
18. The Vitamin A converted from the beta-carotene in carrots provides antioxidant healing for skin that has been damaged by the sun, too.

    Therefore, it is noteworthy to know that people who are deficient in Vitamin A are likely to experience dryness in their skin and hair, and nails are more likely to be more brittle and flakey.

19. Overall, carrots are great for keeping skin healthy and glowing, so a tan can last much longer for a person who consumes carrots regularly. The carotenoids and antioxidants found in carrots are great at producing what seems to be a natural tan, actually.
20. Carrots can be turned into a topical paste for the skin, especially in the form of a facial mask. This kind of treatment is great for reducing acne and blemishes or other changes in complexion and uneven skin tone.
21. It goes without saying that carrots have a great deal of antioxidant power because of the beta-carotene they contain.

    Ingesting a great amount of beta-carotene means preventing and repairing cell damage, so long as a healthy metabolism is maintained.

    Since carrots slow down the aging process, people can appear to be more youthful and fight off diseases that can come with age.

22. Additionally, the Vitamin A gained from eating carrots serves to flush the body of toxins, especially with bile found in the liver. The fiber in carrots also helps to heighten this effect.
23. Raw carrots are great as a method of cleaning plaque from teeth. It can even do so more easily than simply brushing teeth.
24. Since carrots have alkalizing agents, they are great at removing acid from the body, which is another key factor in reducing the chances of cavities in most people.
25. Carrots produce a natural pesticide called falcarinol that is great for treating fungal diseases in the body. Consuming this compound can reduce cancer risk by one-third.
26. People who experience celiac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, and cystic fibrosis generally experience types of malabsorption.

    This scenario can be fixed easily by consuming carrots because the Vitamin C they contain makes absorbing other nutrients rather easy and efficient.

27. The carotenoids found in carrots are also great at making people feel more optimistic. A study performed by the Harvard School of Public Health show that people who have more carotenoids in their diet are 13 percent more likely to be optimistic instead of pessimistic.
28. Those people who suffer from mood disorders are, therefore, more likely to experience higher moods and productivity because of these carotenoids.
29. Furthermore, these carotenoids are also great at improving memory and managing cognitive dysfunction, so they can help people to prevent or heal from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease or other related diseases.
30. The body always reacts negatively to inflammation, so people should consume more carrots to combat this factor.

    Removing this inflammation from the body due to a high conversion of Vitamin A from carrots means reducing many conditions, from acne to cancer.

    Specifically, removing inflammation from the body means also reducing the chances of a type of lung ailment called broncho-pulmonary

31. Additionally, the Vitamin A gained from carrots is also great at regulating the release of healthy immune cells in the gut.
32. Consuming carrots can also mean preventing liver and gallbladder disease because of the fiber they contain.
33. People who experience liver damage due to alcohol abuse also can find relief from symptoms by reaping benefits from the Vitamin A produced by beta-carotene in the liver. This factor cleanses the liver or any damage with ease.

What are the Best Ways to Eat Carrots?

Carrots can be consumed in many ways. One of the most common ways to eat carrots is in the form of carrot cake, but this dessert is not the only way to gain carrots on a diet.

Believe it or not, carrots can be found in many other recipes. Carrot and carrot juice can be turned into many different dishes, so it is good to know that they can be consumed in healthier ways than just in a dessert.

Most people know that carrots are able to be consumed in a raw form, but there other applications, too.

Carrots can be added to many soups and stews for a crunchy effect with ease. They often become part of rather warming dishes that are hard to pass up in the colder months.

These dishes leave the body feeling full and energized. As an added bonus, the body stays warm and full for far longer with these dishes.

Fortunately, carrots are great at being an addition to salads. When combined with other raw vegetables, they make a great way to clean out the body with ease.

Carrots can also be added to dips, too. When they are in their raw form, they are rather popular to be paired with things like hummus.  A great dip to make with carrots is to pair it with tuna for a boost of protein, too.

For the sake of simplicity, carrots can easily be paired with some peanut butter to gain the same amount of protein and some essential oils, too. Actually, carrots pair well with almost any kind of nut butter for the same reason.

At the same time, carrots and carrot juice can be added to smoothies for an added boost of beta-carotene.

Raw carrots are also a great addition to many cultural dishes, including those of the Asia variety. They pair well with brown rice, eggs, and other vegetables for a tasty treat.

Another popular way to consume carrots is to glaze them. Most of the time, this process is achieved with butter and brown sugar.

It is worth warning that this type of dish can be fattening, so it might not be the best way to consume carrots routinely.

Many people think of carrots as being reserved for lunch, snacks, and dinners. However, they can make a great addition to breakfast in the form of muffins and porridge, too.

Carrots are extremely powerful when combined with grains like flax and quinoa. Furthermore, carrots also pair well with yogurt for various smoothies in the morning, too.

What Pairs Well with Carrots in Dishes?

There are many things that pair well with carrots in dishes. As mentioned previously, carrots go great with hummus and yogurt for a particularly spectacular type of dip.

Carrots are also a great addition to quesadillas for an added crunch. When it comes to glazing carrots, people do not have to rely on brown sugar alone.

Honey and agave make great additions to this classical side dish as well. For a special flavor, maple syrup can be added to widen the flavor palate.

Most varieties of carrots seem to be a little bland or bitter, but there are ways to remedy this factor. Adding a touch of sweetness as in a glaze is a great start.

However, lemons can also be added for a touch of sour and sweet, which will also prove to add more Vitamin C than what carrots already contain on their own.

Our Best Carrot Recipes

With this topic of different dishes for carrots and carrot juice in mind, we would like to go over certain recipes with you where carrots and carrot juice are the focus of the dish in some way.

Here are some of those popular recipes that can be added to a routine diet with ease.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Soufflé

Carrot Pie

Bourbon Glazed Carrots

Carrot Chips

Carrot Soup

Carrot Burgers

Scalloped Carrots

Beef Stew

Which Juicer to Use for Making Carrot Juice?

The juice machine market is full of machines that claim to do an amazing job. However, not all of them have the same quality when it comes to pleasing customers.

There is one model that is perfect for making carrot juice, though. The best model out there for making carrot juice is Breville’s BJE510XL Juice Fountain Multi-Speed 900-Watt Juicer.

In reviews completed by customers on Amazon, this machine ranks as 4.5 out of 5.0 points. It is also rather affordable in comparison to other machines on the market, too.

This model has a 900-watt motor, and most of the machine is made of stainless steel construction. It has five different speeds, including Hard Vegetables, Apple, Pineapple, Citrus, and Soft Food.

These speeds serve to ensure the most optimal juicing yield for any product placed into the machine. At the same time, these settings make certain that any kind of fruit or vegetable can be juiced with ease while producing as much juice and as little pulp as possible.

This juicer has a three-inch, circular feed tube to adding ingredients to any batch of juice with ease. The control panel for this model is backlit for ease of use.

Most of the parts of this machine are dishwasher safe, so it is rather easy to clean. For the sake of keeping the machine as clean as possible, this model comes with a cleaning brush for those hard-to-reach spaces.

The juice jug and froth separator are easily detached from the machine, and the same can be said of the spout.

Breville’s BJE510XL Juice Fountain Multi-Speed 900-Watt Juicer also contains a patented, direct central feed system that is great for maximum juice extraction.

The Nutri Disc it features is made of titanium reinforced cutting blades, which makes sure the blades stay sharper for longer. For spinning out the pulp with ease, this machine uses a stainless steel mesh filter basket.

More importantly, this model features noise and vibration reduction in a patented, unique way that ensures the machine is rather soundproof in construction.

Conclusion

Within this article, we considered as many things about carrots as possible. We over viewed both a historical and nutritional background of carrots.

There are also about 30 health benefits and many recipes that have been considered as reasons why and ways to include carrots in the typical diet all the more.

Bugs Bunny would be proud to stand behind the facts presented in this article about carrots.

As with this rabbit figure, we should make more use of carrots in our daily diets for the sake of improving our health and opening our flavor palate.

When in doubt, put more beta-carotene into your system with carrots for the sake of being as healthy, slim, and trim as Bugs Bunny.