Here’s the beauty of it all. You can enjoy these sensory pleasures in a versatile vegetable considered one of the world’s healthiest foods.
According to a scientist at Tufts University, “Carrots are so much a part of our diet that their health benefits may have been overlooked.” Well, no more! In this post, we’ll bring the health benefits of carrots front of mind, many of which exist because of this vegetable’s carotenoids.
More About Carotenoids
Carotenoids are pigments that help keep plants healthy. They are considered a phytonutrient (plant chemical) because they help plants absorb the light energy they need through photosynthesis.
And, when people eat foods containing this plant pigment, they can also receive health benefits. Carotenoids are the pigment that gives certain fruits and vegetables red, yellow, and orange coloring. According to the University of California, Berkeley, carrots are a prime source of them.
The following types of carotenoids are among the most studied for their health benefits:
- alpha-carotene
- beta-carotene
- beta-cryptoxanthin
- lutein
- zeaxanthin
- lycopene
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg regarding carotenoids and health. That’s because there are, in fact, more than 600 types! Here’s a resource if you want more in-depth information about carotenoids.
More About Specific Health Benefits
“Carrots are undoubtedly one of the most nutritious vegetables you will find in your kitchen. The richness of its color is well complemented with the several macronutrients and micronutrients that this vegetable carries.” (Hippocrates Health Institute)
Adding carrots to your diet can make good sense when managing optimal blood pressure. That’s because of their rich sources of potassium and sodium, the Hippocrates Health Institute says. Daily consumption of carrots can help prevent plaque buildup in arteries; when buildup occurs, it can increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes.
This institute cites a study using animals from the European Journal of Nutrition that showed how eating carrots can regulate cholesterol. Researchers concluded this was because of the carotenoids in carrots, vitamin C, and polyphenols.
Nutrients found in carrots may also play a role in fighting cancer. Here’s how. A variety of cancers can be triggered by oxidative stress, which can be counteracted by antioxidants, such as those found in carrots. A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition focused on how carrots can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Vitamin A is found in carrots, which can help prevent certain vision problems and improve how well you can see in low lighting. Regarding oral health, carrots help trigger saliva, protecting you from mouth diseases.
Plus, the high fiber in carrots helps with digestive tract health, while its low glycemic rating means that they can be included in the diets of people with diabetes. Carrot carotenoids help to regulate glucose.
One of the World’s Healthiest Foods
Is it any surprise that carrots are included in the World’s Healthiest Foods list? This site notes how people who eat at least one serving daily of yellow/orange foods—including carrots—or green vegetables had a healthier bone mass.
“What was most striking to us about this study,” the site reads, “was the relatively small amount of yellow/green vegetables associated with bone-health benefits. This research reminded us how much can be accomplished with relatively small changes in a meal plan, especially changes that incorporate foods as rich in beta-carotene as carrots.”
The World’s Healthiest Foods site also discussed a carrot component called polyacetylenes. Carrots can take their own fatty acids and convert them into these substances, which protects the carrot plant from bacteria and fungi. Lab and animal studies have shown that these polyacetylenes have anti-cancer properties when carrots are eaten. More specifically, studies have been done to see how these substances can help to prevent lymphocytic leukemia and colorectal cancer.
Carrot Top Nutrition
“Carrot tops are a nutritious and versatile ingredient that can be used to replace herbs in all kinds of dishes . . . they are rich in nutrients, containing around six times more vitamin C than the root, as well as lots of potassium, calcium and phytonutrients.” (The Guardian)
We absolutely loved reading this, as we greatly advocate using fresh vegetables from root to tip. To help you take full advantage of the flavor and nutrition found in carrot tops, here is Chef Jamie Simpson’s recipe for Carrot Puree.
- Remove carrot tops and set them aside for use later.’
- Poach carrots in a circulator along with some kind of fat (oil/butter).
- Blend cooked carrots in a blender.
- Remove the mixture from the blender.
- Pass the mixture through chinois (a cone-shaped fine mesh sieve).
- Remove air in a vacuum machine. This suctions air and compresses the pureed mixture inside a plastic pouch.
- Poach white carrots in the circulator.
- Blanch carrot tops.
- Blend cooked white carrots in a blender.
- Add blanched carrot tops to a blender, along with white carrots, and blend.
- Pass the mixture through chinois.
- Remove air from the vacuum machine.
Mixed Carrots: Vegetable of the Year
As 2019 is coming to a close, this means we’re wrapping up the year when mixed carrots were the vegetable of the year. The reasons we made this choice, though, will continue to be true in 2020, 2030, and far beyond that.
One reason is that carrots are bursting with health benefits and available in a rainbow of hues. Nutritionists strongly encourage us to eat the rainbow because different colors of fruits and veggies contain different phytochemicals and their nutritional benefits.
Today’s Dietician, for example, says that “including a variety of colors in one’s diet seems to equal better overall health, especially in relation to produce. ‘Epidemiological research suggests that food patterns that include fruits and vegetables are associated with lower risk for some diseases.’”
More specifically:
- Purple foods contain anthocyanin, which is “particularly heart healthy and may help support healthy blood pressure . . . [and] may also help lower risk of cancer.”
- Yellow/orange foods, meanwhile, are especially beta-carotene-rich, “integral for vision and immune function, as well as skin and bone health,” and “may also play a part in preventing cancer . . . and may also reduce the risk of heart disease.”
MedicalNewsToday.com says that carrots are, in fact, the “ultimate health food,” and at The Chef’s Garden, you can order a rainbow-full of fresh carrots, all in one place.
Another key reason we chose mixed carrots as our 2019 vegetable of the year is their flavor. Fresh carrots have an earthy yet sweet flavor that’s delicious when cooked or raw. Different varieties of carrots can come in differing colors, shapes, and sizes, along with subtly different flavor profiles. Our mixed carrot product offers you the best of the day’s harvest.
Purple carrots, like our dragon carrots, can have an especially sweet flavor, with this variety offering a marvelous herbal finish. As another example, yellow carrots add a mildly delicious flavor to dishes, nutty without the earthiness of other varieties. If you’re looking for an earthy dry flavor, consider using carrot tops to create pesto, salsa, and other dishes reminiscent of carrots.
Oh, That Crunch!
Experts are increasingly recommending mindful eating for better health. They recommend that we focus on each bite, getting enjoyment from every one. To quote WebMD.com, “Enjoy the aroma, savor every bite, eat slowly, and chew each mouthful thoroughly for maximum pleasure. Mindful eating is slower eating. And because foods with crunch and texture take longer to eat, they may lead to greater satisfaction than softer foods.”
Let’s face it. It’s hard to picture a food that offers a more satisfying crunch than fresh, raw carrots.
Versatile Veggie
Carrots can add their flavor and nutritional punch in a wide variety of culinary applications, from baked to boiled, pulped to pureed, fried, grated, steamed, mashed, dehydrated, and more. They’re delicious in soups, stews, and salads, outstanding raw—with or without intriguing dips—and serve as an excellent ingredient in smoothies.
Plus, they play a partnership role in one of history’s greatest pairings: peas and carrots. Separately, they each provide a powerful punch of flavor and nutrition. Combined, “they become a powerhouse of antioxidants and nutrients.”
Low in calories (a cup of peas and a cup of carrots, together, have only 167 calories, with barely any fat), they provide 16 percent of men’s daily protein intake and 19 percent for women—and, combined, they offer four different carotenoids.
Back to just carrots! Because chefs increasingly use veggie-based carbs rather than traditional ones, this opens up a new vista for how you use carrots. To help, the Center for Science in the Public Interest shares one of their favorite carb-changing tips: ” Replace pasta with veggie spirals made from zucchini, carrot, or turnips. You name it, you can spiralize it.”
Quick Look Back in Time
The reality is that people have appreciated carrots for a long time. A really long time.
Seeds from wild carrots have been found from about 10,000 years ago, and about 5,000 years ago, carrots were being cultivated in today’s Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. Early on, people preferred to grow purple and yellow carrots. Ancient Romans and Greeks used wild carrots as a form of medicine, with the latter culture believing that cultivated carrots were more edible but less medicinal.
In 795, King Charlemagne listed carrots as a plant he wanted to grow in Europe. For centuries, carrots and parsnips were a dietary staple for the typical person of the era, partly because they were easy to grow and, partly, because they could be stored easily during winter months.
By the end of the Dark Ages, Arabs shared purple, red, and yellow carrots with Europeans, with a cookbook from around 950 A.D. containing more than 600 carrot recipes, including ones for red-orange, white, and yellow carrots. By 1100 A.D., people admired the sugar content of carrots and used them in desserts, jams, and syrups. This increased how this vegetable was being used, a precursor of today’s diverse culinary landscape.
Fast Forwarding to Today
Carrots are being used in a wide variety of creative dishes at restaurants and home kitchens around the country and the world. So, when it comes time for people to choose which carrots to purchase, we often get asked the following from potential customers: why should I buy the product from The Chef’s Garden, and what sets your farm apart?
We are proud of the outstanding reputation we have developed over the past thirty years as a company renowned for its noteworthy customer service and the production of exceptional specialty and heirloom vegetables, herbs, microgreens, and edible flowers grown for the world’s most esteemed and innovative chefs and restaurants. These chefs and restaurants turn to us for the highest-quality products available anywhere.
Daily, we hand-harvest, pick-to-order, and ship products to you overnight to ensure that you receive the freshest, most vibrant, and flavorful produce available. Our efficiently shipped Earth to Table® promise ensures ultimate freshness, incredible flavor, and prolonged shelf-life, resulting in less waste for your business. We encourage you to compare our direct-from-the-farm products to those with a local supplier who is potentially fulfilling your order with products sourced elsewhere and stored for days in a warehouse before they are delivered to your door. We are confident that you will find our fresh vegetables, microgreens, herbs, and edible flowers to be the freshest and most flavorful anywhere.