By Funke Oshifuye
Carrots are perhaps best known for their beta-carotene content.  This orange colored vegetable also houses polyacetylenes.  Recent research has identified these carrot polyacetylenes as phytonutrients that can help inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells, especially when these polyacetylenes are found in their reduced form.

These polyacetylenes also have anti-inflammatory properties and anti-aggregatory properties that help prevent excessive clumping together of red blood cells. This explains why polyacetylenes may play a key role in the cardiovascular protection, giving credence to the array of recent studies that have shown that high intake of carrots lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

The rich carotenoid content of carrots in addition to preventing oxidative damage in our body, may also help prevent oxidative damage to the carrot polyacetylenes. With these two groups of phytonutrients working hand in hand, you can’t go wrong with carrots!

Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which makes it very good for our eyes and vision health. Because of its high fiber content, eating carrots helps regulate our bowel movement. It is also a healthy snack for people living with diabetes, if taken in moderation. In addition, carrots are a very good source of immune-supportive vitamin C, bone-building vitamin K and potassium.

Carrots will keep longer than most vegetables if stored properly. By minimizing the amount of moisture they lose, the freshness of carrot root is preserved. You can do this by wrapping in a plastic bag or paper towel before storing in the coolest part of the refrigerator. This will reduce the amount of condensation that is able to form and can also keep them fresh for about two weeks.

Note that excessive consumption of carotene-rich foods may lead to a condition called carotoderma in which the palms or other skin develops a yellow or orange cast. This yellowing of the skin is presumably related to carotenemia, excessive levels of carotene in the blood.

The body slowly converts carotene to vitamin A, so eating or juicing excessive amounts of foods rich in carotene, like carrots, may over tax the body’s ability to convert these foods.