The cultivated carrot as we know it today is a far cry from the wild carrot found growing about 5,000 years ago in the area now known as Afghanistan. These wild varieties were purple or black, and had a tough, fibrous texture, and carrots only became orange in the 1500's when patriotic Dutch growers developed a carrot in an attempt to nationalize the country's favorite vegetable.
In 1940 Britain's Air Ministry invented the carrot myth, which was that a diet of carrots gave pilots night vision in order to see Nazi bombers attacking at night. This propaganda was spread to conceal the fiercely kept secret of Royal Air Force's interception radar, which was able to pinpoint enemy bombers before they reached the English Channel. The Germans fell for these lies because this myth was already a part of their folklore.
Health Benefits of Carrots
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Nutrient Values of Raw Carrots per 100g
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Calories
41kcal |
Energy Value
173kj |
Total Fat
0.24g |
Carbohydrates
9.58g |
Sugars
4.74g |
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Dietary Fiber
2.8g |
Protein
0.93g |
Sodium
69mg |
Zinc
0.24mg |
Potassium
320mg |
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Iron
0.30mg |
Magnesium
12mg |
Copper
0.045mg |
Calcium
33mg |
Vitamin C
5.9mg |
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Vitamin E
0.66mg |
Vit. B3 (Niacin)
0.983mg |
Vitamin B6
0.138mg |
Vit. B1 (Thiamin)
0.066mg |
Vit. B2 (Riboflavin)
0.058mg |
References:
1. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno.
2. Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology.
3. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
4. Buijsse B, Feskens EJ, Kwape L, Kok FJ, Kromhout D. Both alpha- and beta-carotene, but not tocopherols and vitamin C, are inversely related to 15-year cardiovascular mortality in Dutch elderly men. J Nutr. 2008 Feb;138(2):344-50. PMID: 18203902.
5. Coleman AL, Stone KL, Kodjebacheva G, Yu F, Pedula KL, Ensrud KE, Cauley JA, Hochberg MC, Topouzis F, Badala F, Mangione CM; Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. Glaucoma risk and the consumption of fruits and vegetables among older women in the study of osteoporotic fractures. Am J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jun;145(6):1081-9. Epub 2008 Mar 20. PMID: 18355790.
6. Haskell MJ, Pandey P, Graham JM, Peerson JM, Shrestha RK, Brown KH. Recovery from impaired dark adaptation in nightblind pregnant Nepali women who receive small daily doses of vitamin A as amaranth leaves, carrots, goat liver, vitamin A-fortified rice, or retinyl palmitate. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Feb;81(2):461-71. PMID: 15699236.
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