Lifestyle: Fight cancer naturally with carrots

The cool orange colour and sweet taste of carrot should leave you with no excuse to eliminate this kind of fruit from your food.

Carrots make a perfect easy crunchy salad for snack and is a super vegetable that offers so many health benefits.

The good thing about eating carrots is that you can eat it raw or cooked and still get a fair portion of nutrients as required by the body.

Read below diseases one can prevent by eating this ‘super vegetable’.

Cancer

Carrots have antioxidants and beta-carotene, which may play a role in cancer prevention. Research has shown that smokers who eat carrots more than once a week have a lower risk of lung cancer, while a beta-carotene-rich diet may also protect against prostate cancer.

Consumption of beta-carotene is also associated with a lower risk of colon cancer, while carrot juice extract may kill leukemia cells and inhibit their progression.

Heart Disease

Eating more deep-orange-colored fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In particular, carrots are associated with a 32 percent lower risk of CHD, leading researchers have revealed.

Vision

A deficiency in vitamin A can cause your eye's photoreceptors to deteriorate, which leads to vision problems. Eating foods rich in beta-carotene may restore vision, lending truth to the old adage that carrots are good for your eyes.

In addition, research shows women may reduce their risk of glaucoma by 64 percent by consuming more than two servings per week of carrots.13

Brain Health

Carrot extract has been found to be useful for the management of cognitive dysfunctions and may offer memory improvement and cholesterol-lowering benefits.

A high intake of root vegetables, including carrots, is also associated with better cognitive function and smaller decline in cognitive function during middle age.

And a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found a diet rich in plant foods is associated with better performance in several cognitive abilities in a dose-dependent manner among the elderly.

Liver Protection

Carrot extract may help to protect your liver from the toxic effects of environmental chemicals.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Carrot extract also has anti-inflammatory properties and provided anti-inflammatory benefits that were significant even when compared to anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Celebrex.

Anti-Aging Benefits

Carrots are a valuable source of antioxidants, including carotenoids (beta carotene, lutein and alpha-carotene), hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic acid and ferulic acid), and anthocyanins.