Carrots: benefit and harm

Carrots are one of the most common vegetables that are used all over the world.Her benefits for a person were revealed a few years ago, and doctors recommend to use it in cooked form - it is believed that this way the vegetable is better absorbed by the body, and the amount of carotene in its composition after such heat treatment is increased by 14%.

Chemical composition of carrot and its calorie

Nutritional value of 100 g :

• Caloric content: 33.1
• kcal Protein 1.3 g
• Fat: 0.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 7.2 g

Display a list »

The composition of the vegetable in question is very rich - it only contains more than 10 vitamins!Moreover, there are not only all well-known C, B, A, E, but also such rare as B9( folic acid) and K( phylloquinone).Microelements in the composition of carrots are also represented by a wide ruler.

There are in the composition of carrots and macronutrients - calcium, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine and others.In general, the chemical composition of the vegetable in question can be considered unique - diverse, full-fledged.

The greatest amount of useful substance in the carrot is in carotene - it is he who gives the vegetable a bright color.Curiously, when cooking carrots, carotene is not destroyed, but turns into retinol.However, to get the most benefit from carotene / retinol, you need to eat carrots in combination with vegetable oil or cream and sour cream.

The calorie content of carrots is small, which makes it irreplaceable when losing weight.

Use of carrots

The most important feature of this vegetable is that it is stored for a long time, therefore it is possible to use carrots as a useful food product all year round. The properties of carrots, which render to the human body only the benefit of are singled out:

1. Ideal as a dietary supplement - it is absorbed by the body well, providing it with all the nutrients necessary for normal operation.
2. Excellent impact on the work of the eyes - with minimal disabilities, doctors recommend that patients begin to consume an increased amount of carrots in raw and cooked form.
3. Strengthens the immune system - a large number of vitamins in the carrot make it an indispensable product for the prevention of colds in periods of epidemics of acute respiratory-viral infections.
4. Carrots improve the regenerative functions of the body - a raw, ground on a small grater, the root of the vegetable in question is used to treat burns and shallow wounds.
5. Helps to normalize the work of the intestines - carrots "work" as a laxative, relieve even chronic constipation.
6. Promotes the dissolution of sand and stones that are formed in the bladder.
7. Strengthens peristalsis, relieves increased gas production.
8. It has antiseptic properties, and weak anti-inflammatory properties are noted.
9. Beneficial effect on the skin condition of the face - its color becomes even.
10. Excellent helps to get rid of helminthic invasions.
11. Improves and stabilizes the entire gastrointestinal tract.

Carrots are recommended for use in some diseases :

• anemia - carrots juice will be especially useful;
• cholelithiasis;
• myocardial infarction;
• stomatitis, gingivitis - the oral cavity is rinsed with carrot juice, which is diluted with water in a 1: 1 ratio.

Carrots - harm and contraindications for use

This vegetable can harm the body only in two cases - a person has a hypersensitivity or an individual intolerance to carrots, overeating.In the first case, there is always the risk of rapid development of an allergic reaction.But in the second, there is no point in talking about any danger - if you consume more than 1 kg of carrots per day, people can turn yellow in the palms and cheeks( you should agree that few people will like to go with such "accents").

It is believed that carrots are one of the few vegetables that do not have contraindications to eating.Of course, you need to limit the consumption of raw raw vegetables under consideration in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, if doctors recommend to reduce the amount of fiber supplied to the body.

Application of carrots in traditional medicine

There are many recipes based on carrots that allow you to prepare medicines of different effects.But in this article we will talk about the application of the vegetable in question without any pharmaceutical measures. What advises folk medicine :

1. In the morning on an empty stomach give to children 50 ml of freshly prepared carrot juice is an excellent laxative.
2. If you need to clean the liver and gallbladder, then you need to drink 150 ml of a vegetable cocktail every day.It is prepared from carrot, cucumber and beet juice, taken in equal quantities.But keep in mind - after consuming a cocktail for 4 hours you can not eat meat.
3. 100 g grated fresh carrots in the morning on an empty stomach will help cope with anemia, vitamin deficiency and loss of strength.
4. If there is a fresh burn, then it is necessary to urgently apply a grated carrot rubbed on a fine grater, the dressing should be changed every 20 minutes.
5. Mix 100 g of carrot juice with 1 teaspoon of honey and gargle every 3 hours - this remedy will help to quickly remove symptoms of sore throat.
6. If the child has a thrush in the mouth, then you need to sweeten the carrot juice a little honey and every 2 hours to treat this composition with the mouth( rinse, lubricate or water).

How to choose and how to properly store carrots

To consider the vegetable was really useful for health, you need to be able to choose it correctly when buying. If this exciting event is to be, then follow the following rules :

• the carrots should look smooth, regular and strong;
• a dense foliage of carrots will point to its empty core;
• Optimal choice - fruits of bright orange color, short and with blunt tips;
• cracks and stains on the surface of carrots should not be present - with a probability of up to 90%, it can be said that the root of the root will be stiff and spoiled;
• growths on the skin of carrots should not be - this is the first sign of a high content of nitrates in the vegetable;
• light orange root vegetables are best for cooking carrot cutlets and casseroles - they will perfectly keep the shape.

But it's not enough to buy carrots, you still need to keep it! And here's how to do it properly :

• You can keep carrots in plastic bags, but they must be open and in a cool place;
• it is allowed to store carrots in a box with onion husk on a balcony or loggia;
• if long-term storage is to be performed, it is better to peel the carrots and freeze.

Carrots are a very useful product that should be present in the diet in both adults and children.