Health & Beauty. delivery number 33: THE CARROT.

Thank you for visiting my blog and Continuing with the series of properties and benefits of fruits and vegetables, today I bring you information about:

The carrot, botanical name Daucus carota, is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Umbelliferae family. This vegetable is grown mainly due to the properties of its root that has a high nutritional and healing power, rich in bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and dietary fiber. These compounds have beneficial health properties, let's see some of them.

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Antitumor:

Carrot is particularly rich in carotenes and vitamin A. Recent studies state that these substances may offer protection against certain types of cancer such as: prostate, colon and stomach. A carrot a day is recommended to defend against tumors.

It was also found that carrots contain a compound called falcarinol, which has an anti-carcinogenic action. This substance seems to be a type of natural pesticide that the carrot uses to protect its roots from fungal diseases, but when consumed, this substance prevents the development of tumors.

Protects the respiratory tract:

Beta-carotene is necessary for healthy growth of body tissues, as well as for its repair. It contributes to the protection of the mucous membranes present in the lungs, in the mouth and in the nose, thus reducing the risk of infections.

Antioxidant:

The vitamin C content gives carrots antioxidant properties that are useful for strengthening the immune system and for counteracting free radical activity. Also beta-carotene has proven antioxidant properties useful in the fight against free radicals. Studies suggest that drinking carrot juice significantly increases the antioxidant state of the blood.

Reduce the cholesterol:

The carrot contains carotenoids. Its activity, along with that of dietary fiber, helps reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Carrot consumption modifies cholesterol absorption and bile acid excretion by increasing antioxidant status. These properties of carrots have a positive impact on the prevention of diseases such as arteriosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.

Protect the view:

Carrots, thanks to vitamin A and beta-carotene, are indicated for eye problems such as cataracts and other eye diseases. People with low vitamin A content are more likely to develop blindness at dusk. Carotenoids can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

This vegetable also has a good content of lutein, an antioxidant compound that protects the eye from harmful sunlight.

Heart health:

Carrot juice reduces oxidative stress and protects the heart from cardiovascular disease. This property is due to the high content of antioxidants that have a beneficial effect.

Anthelmintic:

Carrots can also be a valid remedy for intestinal worms. Half a cup of grated carrot is eaten in the morning on an empty stomach (avoiding breakfast for at least an hour) for five consecutive days should be useful.

Burns and Wounds:

For external use, carrots can also be used to treat burns, wounds and other skin problems, thanks to the beta-carotene essential for healing any type of wound.

Protect the brain:

Drinking carrot juice can also improve cognitive function and can have beneficial effects on memory loss and dementia.

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The carrot contains many minerals for each of them to perform important functions in our body. Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are essential for the health of our bones, phosphorus keeps skin, hair and nerves healthy, while magnesium facilitates mental development, digestion of fats and the metabolization of other minerals .

A beauty mask prepared with carrot pulp can be useful to soften the skin of the face, remove spots on the pimples and dark circles.

Weightloss:

Thanks to the good fiber content, this vegetable can contribute to weight loss since its intake increases the feeling of satiety and prevents the introduction of additional calories in the body during the day. Carrot juice increases the production of bile juices. This property can increase the metabolism which is useful for losing weight.

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Carrots are one of the most versatile vegetables in the world. They can be eaten cooked, raw and in the form of juice. Throughout history they have been consumed worldwide.

Beta-carotene is compatible with heat and short cooking cannot destroy it, on the contrary it favors its assimilation, since, by becoming softer plant tissues, our digestive system treats them more easily. Therefore, we can say that, through short cooking, without exaggeration, we obtain an easier assimilation of beta-carotene and its benefits.

I hope you like this initiative ... you can make suggestions and propose fruits and vegetables for the next delivery.

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