Carrots are a popular root vegetable that’s easy to grow as long as it’s planted in loose, sandy soil. Most varieties of carrots are resistant to pests and diseases, and they are also a good late season crop that can tolerate frost .
Carrots’ root is rich in sugar, and a great source of vitamins and carotene. Not all carrots are orange; varieties vary in color from purple to white!
If there is a challenge to growing carrots, it’s just having soil that’s not too heavy—or, you’ll end up with stunted round balls! Most carrot varieties need deep, loose soil.
Carrots are grown from seed and take about four months to mature.
There are more than 100 species of carrots.
Some are big, some are small, and they come in a variety of colors including: orange, purple, white, yellow and red.
English women in the 1600s often wore carrot leaves in their hats in place of flowers or feathers.
The name “carrot” comes from the Greek word “karoton.”
The beta-carotene that is found in carrots was actually named for the carrot itself.
The average American eats about 12 pounds of carrots a year.
That’s only one cup per week. We could easily triple that while also eating a variety of other vegetables.
roasted carrots
10 Health Benefits of Carrot
Carrots have long been lauded for their various health benefits, and people have been encouraged to incorporate them into their daily diet.
Strong Bones–Two of the minerals contained in carrots–Potassium and Vitamin K–help to strengthen the body’s bones via providing amino acids to build protein.
Skin Protectant–The beta-carotene in carrots has a variety of benefits, including the fact that it acts as a skin protectant from the Sun’s harmful rays and bolsters the body’s ability to fight infection from skin wounds.
Immunity Booster–Another benefit linked to beta-carotene is its ability to convert into Vitamin A when consumed, along with its power to ward off viruses and infections, and therefore, boosting the body’s immune system.
Heart Healthy–Carrots are known to lower cholesterol levels and risk of cardiovascular disease by enabling the body to digest fats easier and more effectively.
Better Oral Health–This is a unique benefit associated with carrots and could explain why Bugs Bunny loves them so much. The consumption of carrots actually cleans your teeth via their crunchy texture, which removes the plaque from your teeth and stimulates the production of saliva, which neutralizes the bacteria housed in the mouth.
Anti-Aging–Another benefit associated with beta-carotene is its ability to act as an anti-oxidant for damaged cells in the body.
Detoxifier–Vitamin A generated by beta-carotene helps detoxify the body via flushing toxins from the liver. This reduces the production of bile and helps the liver process fats more efficiently.
Anti-oxidant-Rich— Carrots are chock full of anti-oxidants known as carotenoids, which give carrots their distinctive orange hue.
Stroke Preventative–According to studies, people who eat 5 or more carrots a week are less likely to be at risk for strokes than those who consume one or fewer carrots in a month.
Vitamin-Rich–In addition to their Vitamin A-rich notoriety, carrots are also rich in Vitamins C, E, K, and D. These nutrients aid numerous organs and systems of the body, including your eyes/vision, skin, immune, cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, etc. In fact, there is not a system in the body that does not benefit from these essential vitamins.
How To Eat Carrots
The nutrients in carrots are tightly encased in protein sacs that have to be broken by heat (cooking) or mechanical action (grinding, juicing, proper chewing).
Cooking the carrots in fat or oils, pureeing or juicing them increases the availability of carotenoids by 600 percent.
Fats also help the absorption of carotenoids into the blood by 1,000 percent, as carotenoids are fat soluble, so pour a little olive oil on top!
Fun Facts About Carrots
Rabbits love to eat carrots, but they shouldn’t eat too many.
A rabbit eating a single carrot is like us eating over 20. Carrots are good for rabbit teeth and don’t have artificial sugar, but even too many natural sugars can cause digestive problems and diabetes. They probably would do better with carrot tops!
Carrots are the second most popular type of vegetable after potatoes.
The biggest carrot recorded is more than 19 pounds and the longest is over 19 feet!
You can see them here, but they aren’t particularly pretty!
There are more than 100 species of carrots.
Some are big, some are small, and they come in a variety of colors including: orange, purple, white, yellow and red.
English women in the 1600s often wore carrot leaves in their hats in place of flowers or feathers.
The name “carrot” comes from the Greek word “karoton.”
The beta-carotene that is found in carrots was actually named for the carrot itself.
The average American eats about 12 pounds of carrots a year.
That’s only one cup per week. We could easily triple that while also eating a variety of other vegetables.