Every Russian person knows what a carrot looks like and how it tastes.
After all, in any garden there is a garden with this vegetable.
Carrots are put into the soup, salads and snacks are made of it, added during the preparation of second courses, when preparing pickles for the winter.
Carrots are used in almost all dishes of the Russian cuisine, but will such widespread use of this root crop bring harm?
Is the benefit of carrots exaggerated? To answer these questions, it is worth examining the composition of this vegetable.
Composition and calorie carrots
Useful properties of carrots due to its composition. This vegetable contains dietary fiber, ashes, starch, water, mono- and disaccharides, and saturated fatty acids. Moreover, the water contains 88g in 100g of raw carrots, so the caloric content of this vegetable is low - 41kcal per 100g. In boiled carrots, calories are even smaller - 25kcal per 100g. Therefore, using this vegetable, you should not take care that the figure will deteriorate. Nutritionists say that eating boiled carrots is healthier than raw, as in boiled carrots the amount of antioxidants increases 3 times.
Amino acids in carrots contain more than any vegetable.
Essential amino acids that are part of this root:
• Arginine
• Valin
• Histidine
• Isoleucine
• Leucine
• Lysine
• Methionine
• Methionine + cysteine
• Threonine
• Tryptophan
• Phenylalanine
• Phenylalanine + tyrosine
There are slightly less substitutable amino acids:
• Aspartic acid
• Alanin
• Glycine
• Glutamic acid
• Proline
• serine
• Tyrosine
• Cysteine
In addition to the diversity of amino acids, the composition of carrots includes vitamins and micro-and macronutrients. Beta-carotene in carrots is found in record quantities - 8.285 mg per 100g of fresh carrots. In addition to beta-carotene, this vegetable contains other vitamins - vitamin A, vitamins of group B, vitamin C, E, K, PP and choline.
As for micro-and macroelements, there are a lot of them in carrots. Of the trace elements is to provide calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. The main macronutrients are manganese, iodine, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and fluorine.
How are carrots used?
The traditional way to use carrots is to add to dishes. Carrots are added to fried soup, salads and snacks are made from this vegetable. It is a versatile vegetable that combines with meat, and fish, and vegetables, and fruits. Fresh carrot juice children love. Carrots are used even in baking. There are many recipes using this root.
In addition to cooking, carrots are used in cosmetology and aromatherapy. Vitamin A, which is a large part of carrots, has a positive effect on the skin and nails. Carrots help fight wrinkles, acne, rashes and redness on the skin. With regular use of this vegetable, nails become stronger and do not exfoliate.
Broth from carrots use for hair. After rinsing hair with carrot broth, they become more shiny and strong.
To preserve sunburn, it is worth drinking a glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice in the morning, as it contains beta-carotene, which gives the carrot an orange color and helps the skin to keep the dark pigment longer.
Carrot diets are also popular, as this vegetable contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals, and its caloric content is very low.
The benefits of carrots for human health
The composition of carrots suggests that this vegetable is useful for the human body, because this root contains a huge amount of nutrients. But what exactly is this benefit?
1. Vitamin A, which is contained in carrots in an amount equal to the daily requirement of the human body, important for eye health. This vitamin helps to maintain visual acuity. A lack of vitamin A leads to disruption of the mucous membrane of the eye and the appearance of dryness.
2. Carrot positive affects immunity, as its composition includes many vitamins and nutrients. It is recommended to include this vegetable in the diet during peak colds and in the spring and autumn, when the body needs vitamins.
3. It is recommended to include carrots in the diet. people with diabetes. The structure of this vegetable includes dietary fiber, which help slow the absorption of sugar. It is better to eat boiled carrots, as boiled carrots have more antioxidants.
4. Regular consumption of carrots helps to normalize the metabolism in the body, helps to eliminate toxins and toxins.
5. Carrot helps improve heart performance. This vegetable reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood, so it is recommended to use this orange root vegetable to prevent the occurrence of stroke and heart attack. For the greatest benefits of carrots for the cardiovascular system, it is recommended to use it raw.
6. Scientists say that using carrots can prevent the formation of cancerous tumors. This root vegetable contains pesticide, falkarinol, which helps fight tumors. In this matter, it is most effective to use concentrated carrot juice.
7. Due to the content of fiber, carrots beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal motility improves, problems with constipation and hemorrhoids disappear.
8. Carrots have a choleretic and diuretic effect, so she useful for liver and kidney function.
9. Fresh carrots useful for vessels. This vegetable helps to clear the vessels, to treat varicose veins.
10. Substances contained in carrots have a positive effect on the work of the brain, improve memory. Therefore, the use of this orange root is recommended for older people.
11. Raw carrots have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, so you should eat this vegetable if you have problems with the oral cavity. Carrots help to cope with inflammation and bleeding gums.
12. People who suffer from anemia, too, should eat carrots more often, as it contains iron.
The list of useful properties of carrots is quite large, but only if the use of this root for the human body will bring benefit?
What is the harm carrot for health?
Despite the benefits of this root, for eating carrots, there are contraindications.
Do not buy large carrots. After all the bigger the carrots, the more nitrates she absorbed herself. Nitrates act on the human body is detrimental, so the purchase of carrots is better heat treated to reduce the amount of these harmful substances.
It is not recommended to use carrots for people suffering from gastric and duodenal ulcers and for inflammation of the small intestine. In addition, to refrain from eating carrots is worth pancreatitis and chronic diseases.
Do not abuse carrot juice, it leads to yellowing of the skin, headache, lethargy, drowsiness and vomiting.
Contraindications for carrots are few, so the benefits to the body are much greater if a person does not have chronic diseases.
For pregnant and lactating mothers: is carrot useful or harmful?
Pregnant and lactating women are responsible for their health and for the health of the baby. Therefore, the choice of food should be approached carefully.
Carrots are useful for the body of a pregnant woman. This root vegetable helps maintain blood hemoglobin levels and helps prevent the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia. Carrots are effective for the prevention of colds and in the period when the body lacks vitamins - in spring and autumn.
This orange root vegetable contributes to the normal growth and development of the fetus. And for a child who eats breast milk, carrots provide a complete set of vitamins and minerals. Proper nutrition of a nursing mother is important for the health of the child.
During pregnancy and lactation, women should not use many drugs. Carrots are used for certain diseases for medicinal purposes. In case of a head cold, carrot juice is instilled, it helps to get rid of nasal congestion and has an anti-inflammatory effect on the nasopharynx. And further juice is effective for sore throatIt relieves inflammation and pain. When bronchitis is effective carrot juice with honey.
Carrots are products with low allergic properties, so do not be afraid to use this vegetable during pregnancy and lactation.
The benefits and harm of carrots for children
Vitamin A is not for nothing called growth vitamin, so it is necessary for the normal development and growth of the child. Carrots contain a large amount of this vitamin, so children should eat this vegetable without fail.
Introducing carrots in the diet of a child can already be from 6 months, if the child is breastfed, then you can not be in a hurry with the introduction of complementary foods. It is not worth starting with carrot juice, as the grandmothers teach, namely with mashed potatoes.
Carrot juice can cause irritation of the stomach lining and lead to negative consequences, as the juice contains a large amount of acid. Juice should be given to try when the child reaches the age of one year, at least.
For the first feeding carrot puree, which can be done independently or bought in the store ready.
Carrots are good for children. This orange root contains fiber, so it has a positive effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract. If the child has a tendency to constipation, then the use of carrots will benefit.
Excessive consumption of carrots can lead to yellowing of the skin, so you should not give your child to drink a lot of juice and eat an unlimited number of carrots.
