Chemical composition of carrots and its nutritional value

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The useful properties of carrots have been known since ancient times. The chemical composition of an orange vegetable will please not only people leading a he althy lifestyle, but also professionals - dietitians. The very color of carrots is able to cheer you up, because orange is the color of the sun and is associated with positive. But first things first.

Interesting facts from history

For the first time, such a vegetable as carrots was grown in what is now Afghanistan, about 5,000 years ago. It was not an ordinary orange root vegetable, which, if desired, everyone can see in their kitchen. In those days, carrots were purple, yellow and white. Surprisingly, it was grown for medicinal purposes, as it helped with various diseases. Only much later, carrots began to be eaten as a regular product.

Curious to know

Russian healers mixed carrots with honey and used it as a medicine. Thanks to honey, root crops retained their beneficial properties for a long time and, together withhe was excellent at fighting various diseases.

The variety of orange carrots was bred artificially in the 16th century in the Netherlands. For this, yellow and red varieties were crossed. A century later, another type of orange-colored carrot called "carotel" appeared. Since then, this root crop has spread widely throughout Europe.

Carrot traditions of the countries of the world

In France, local culinary masters invented a unique carrot sauce, which is still considered a delicacy today. Only the best chefs in the restaurant business can cook it.

In England, local fashionistas came up with the idea of decorating their hats with carrot leaves, making them look bright and also fragrant.

The real carrot capital is Holtville, a city in the USA. Every year in February, the Carrot Festival is organized here, which lasts for a week. Among the local girls determine the queen. People put on special clothes, similar to carnival costumes, and walk around the city in it. There are also contests to cook delicious treats from carrots, and much more interesting things happen in the American town during the holiday.

A storehouse of nutrients

Speaking about the benefits of carrots, the chemical composition of which is quite wide, it should be noted that it contains the following minerals in the greatest amount:

• magnesium;
• potassium;
• sodium;
• calcium;
• zinc;
• iron.

Among the vitamin composition of the root crop, vitamins C, E, K, B can be distinguished. But most of all in the orange vegetable is beta-carotene, which, after entering the human body, is transformed into vitamin A. It is thanks to him that carrots are known for their ability to maintain vision at the required level.

Separately, it is worth highlighting such a species as yellow carrots.

Benefit and harm, chemical composition

The main difference between yellow and orange carrots is their ability to fight diseases of the cardiovascular system. This conclusion was reached by scientists from the Netherlands. They divided all vegetables and fruits into groups depending on their color: white, green, yellow-orange and purple-red. After that, the ministers of science conducted an experiment that showed that people who added 25 g of carrots to their daily diet were much less likely to complain of heart disease. Moreover, it was yellow carrots that had the most positive effect.

How many calories

One medium carrot contains 25 kcal, 6 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of fiber. Eating just one root vegetable a day will greatly increase your body's supply of vitamin A, as carrots contain 200% more than the amount a person needs.

People leading a he althy lifestyle really appreciate a product like carrots. The chemical composition and nutritional value of the vegetable justify all their expectations. In addition to many vitamins and minerals, this root vegetable contains only 32kcal per 100 grams. The same amount of carrots contains:

• 0, 1g fat;
• 1, 3g protein;
• 6.9g carbs.

Curious facts

Carrots are great for cleaning tooth enamel, so it can be used instead of a toothbrush. It is enough to gnaw on the root crop. In addition, such a “chewing” massage will have a beneficial effect on the gums and prevent the occurrence of periodontal disease and caries.

The chemical composition of fresh carrots also includes essential oils. It is because of them that she has such a specific aroma. It is the oils that are necessary for a person to feel he althy and in a good mood. In addition, they perfectly fight stress, strengthen the nervous system as a whole and help restore strength after prolonged illness.

Fresh or boiled

The chemical composition of boiled carrots is somewhat different from the composition of raw root crops. This is due to the fact that vegetables that have not undergone heat treatment contain hard fiber, which does not allow nutrients to pass through. In addition, the human stomach is difficult to digest. But if the vegetable is boiled, the cell walls become softer, due to which all vitamins and minerals are released from the "confinement".

American scientists have found that boiled root vegetables contain three times more antioxidants than raw ones. In addition, the chemical composition of boiled carrots includes phenols, which prevent senile diseases.

Did you know that…

The longest carrot ever grown by a man was 5.75 m.

The heaviest root crop ever weighed 8.611kg.

Can a vegetable hurt

When it comes to carrots, the chemical composition of which will please any doctor, it seems that this vegetable has no drawbacks and is not capable of negatively affecting the body. However, this is not the case.

As in any business, there must be a golden mean. If you overdo it, for example, with the intake of carrot juice, this will no doubt affect your overall he alth. The person may experience drowsiness, headaches, lethargy.

Saturation of the body with carrots can lead to skin irritation. To understand that it is carrots that are to blame, the color of the epidermis will help - it will have a yellow-orange tint. In medicine, this disease is called carotenemia. The most pronounced areas of the disease are the palms and feet.

Who is forbidden to eat carrots

Orange vegetable has a number of contraindications. So, carrots should not be eaten during an exacerbation of an ulcer, urolithiasis, and also during inflammatory processes in the small intestine.