The Health Benefits of Carrots for the Body

September arrived, and with it the very good carrots. I wasn't too excited to eat this vegetable before, but thanks to advice from my mother and grandmother, I learned that besides being really good and typical of the Mediterranean diet, it brings well-being to the rest of the body too — that's why!

Longevity

Lengthen your life

A group of American researchers found that alpha carotene, the antioxidant present in carrots, helps keep our body healthy for longer and therefore live longer. Carrots help reduce cholesterol levels, prevent arteriosclerosis, and help increase blood hemoglobin levels. Plus, it seems that eating more carrots helps prevent lung cancer.

Kids' health

Carrots fight against kids' obesity

Along with research in the United States, it turns out that orange vegetables, like carrots, and leafy greens, like spinach or broccoli, are the number one weapon to combat childhood obesity.

In the kitchen

They're good both raw and cooked

Carrots are good raw and cooked, for different reasons. To absorb the most betacarotene, it's best to eat them cooked and seasoned with olive oil, since betacarotene is easier for the body to assimilate after a short cooking. Still, it's best to alternate raw and cooked carrots, because some vitamins in them, like vitamin C, are heat-sensitive and deteriorate with cooking.

Beauty

Excellent for skin and tanning

Did you know the oil extracted from carrot root is a great natural remedy against dry skin? It also helps skin stay young and elastic, and reduces acne, which unfortunately affects many of us young people. Moreover, thanks to beta-carotene, it helps skin protect itself against harmful sunbeds, and helps cure allergies and sunburn — just apply a bit of pulp on the affected area.

Digestion

They're allied to the intestines

Carrots are recommended for their richness in pectin, useful for intestinal function. In particular, black carrots are said to be excellent for preventing colon cancer.