Growing up, I have always learned to value healthy juices. Although I wasn’t much of a fan of how other juices tasted, one vegetable has remained a staple ingredient to my daily dose of juices — carrots.
When it comes to juicing, carrots are a favorite of many people. It is one of the tastiest root vegetables that are widely available around the world, and because of organic farming, it is now available all year. They come in a variety of colors, including red, orange, purple, and yellow.
As much as we enjoy carrots in various forms, it is stated that the best way to get the most out of all of the critical nutrients they contain is to eat them raw. So, in addition to putting them into salads, juicing is a great way to enjoy their natural healthiness. Trust us when we say that a glass of carrot juice in the morning can go a long way toward improving your health.
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What’s inside a carrot juice?
Although mostly related to eye health, carrots are rich in many other vitamins and minerals. Drinking carrot juice also provides your body with a lot of phytochemicals and antioxidants that help your body function well in so many ways. So, what exactly does carrot juice contain that makes it one of the best juices to be taken daily? Here’s what.
Values mentioned below are based on an 8oz (226.8 g) pure carrot juice.
Carbohydrates and Fiber
Sugar and starch are two forms of carbohydrates that your body uses for energy, and your brain and nervous system prefer them. Each 8 oz of carrot juice contains 21 grams of carbohydrates, which is the major source of energy. This means that one cup of pure carrot juice provides 8% of our daily carbohydrate needs.
Carrot Juice also contains 1.8 g of fiber, which is responsible for a healthy bowel movement and a healthy digestive system. But raw carrots serve a whopping 2.8 g of fiber per 100 grams, which is 11% of the daily requirement.
Vitamins
Although carrots contain numerous types of vitamins, we will be highlighting the vitamin content in significant amounts.
- 2.2 mg of Vitamin A - (retinol, retinoic acid) is a nutrient important to vision, growth, cell division, reproduction, and immunity.
- 21 mg of Beta-Carotene - Beta Carotene is a compound that gives vivid yellow, orange, and red coloring to vegetables. The body converts Beta Carotene into vitamin A (retinol).
- 0.7 mg of Lutein - Lutein is one of two major carotenoids found in the human eye (macula and retina). It is thought to function as a light filter, protecting the eye tissues from sunlight damage.
- 0.2 mg of Thiamine - The B1 vitamin allows the body to utilize carbohydrates for energy. It is required for glucose metabolism and is important for nerve, muscle, and cardiac function.
- 0.125 mg of Riboflavin - Also known as Vitamin B2 aids in the digestion of proteins, lipids, and carbs. It is essential for the body's energy supply to be maintained.
- 0.875 mg of Niacin - Used to convert food into energy. It supports the health of your nervous system, digestive system, and skin.
- 0.49 mg of Pyridoxine - Also known as Vitamin B6. This is important for normal brain development and for keeping the nervous system and immune system healthy.
- 9.07 mcg of Folate - It supports healthy cell division and promotes proper fetal growth and development to reduce the risk of birth defects.
- 19.3 mg of Ascorbic Acid - It is a potent reducing and antioxidant agent that functions in fighting bacterial infections, in detoxifying reactions, and in the formation of collagen in fibrous tissue, teeth, bones, connective tissue, skin, and capillaries.
- 2.63 mg of Vitamin E - Helps maintain healthy skin and eyes, and strengthens the body's natural defense against illness and infection (the immune system).
- 35.2 mcg of Vitamin K - It is needed to produce prothrombin, which is a protein and a clotting factor that is important in blood clotting and bone metabolism.
Minerals
Carrot juice is not only rich in vitamins, but also has a lot of significant minerals.
- 54.4 mg of Calcium - The most abundant mineral in the body, and it is vital for bone health. Humans need calcium to build and maintain strong bones, and 99% of the body's calcium is in the bones and teeth.
- 0.104 mg of Copper - It enables the body to form red blood cells. It helps maintain healthy bones, blood vessels, nerves, and immune function, and it contributes to iron absorption.
- 1.04 mg of Iron - Part of hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. It helps our muscles store and use oxygen. Iron is also part of many other proteins and enzymes.
- 31.75 mg of Magnesium - Necessary for energy synthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, and maintaining blood sugar levels.
- 95.26 mg of Phosphorus - Like calcium, it is required for the development of strong, healthy bones as well as the health of other body organs.
- 662.26 mg of Potassium - It's a part of the electrolyte panel that maintains nerve health and muscle contraction. It is also important for blood pressure levels.
- 1.4 mcg of Selenium - It's an essential component for thyroid hormone metabolism and DNA synthesis, as well as safeguarding the body from oxidative stress and infection.
- 149.69 mg of Sodium - It's a vital electrolyte that keeps the water balance in and around your cells in check.
- 0.41 mg of Zinc - It's a mineral that is found throughout your body and aids in the proper functioning of your immune system and metabolism.
12 Top Benefits of Carrot Juice
With the number of nutrients that carrots contain, it is not surprising that they have been associated with numerous benefits that do wonders for human health. In this section, we will try to provide the most comprehensive analysis of each of the carrot juice benefits.
1.Improves Eyesight
Do carrots really make you see better in the dark? How do carrots play a role in eye health?
Historically, this myth started during World War II, when soldiers started using radar to have better aim at their target. Because they didn’t want to spoil this secret, they claimed it to be due to eating carrots. But is there any truth to that?
While carrots are not obviously the "magic pill" for night vision, they do contain a huge amount of Vitamin A, beta-carotene, and lutein, which are all helpful for maintaining good eyesight.
Vitamin A is a component of the protein rhodopsin, which is the most abundant protein in the rod cells of the retina and is responsible for vision at night. At decreased levels, it causes "night blindness."
For males and women, the recommended daily amount (RDA) for vitamin A is 900 mcg and 700 mcg per day, respectively. Drinking carrot juice every day provides enough Vitamin A, since an 8-oz glass of fresh juice provides around 200% of the daily requirement, aside from the beta-carotene that converts to Vitamin A.
To summarize, carrots do not provide magic when it comes to night vision, but help a lot with retinal health, preventing night blindness.
2. Improves Heart Health
Have you been diagnosed with a heart disease? Carrots can be beneficial to you. Are you curious about the connection?
It's because carrots contain a lot of antioxidants, the majority being carotenoid and anthocyanins, which both reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Antioxidants are natural substances found in foods in the form of vitamins, minerals, and other compounds. They are thought to aid in disease prevention by combating free radicals, which can harm the body if left unchecked.
Normal biological activities, such as breathing, and environmental pollutants, such as cigarette smoke, produce free radicals. These free radicals spread throughout the body, harming cells, if there aren't enough antioxidants.
Carrots can be eaten fresh, shredded in salads, boiled, juiced, roasted, and added to stews and soups on a regular basis, but drinking raw carrot juice might just make your heart full.
Moreover, carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A, and we need an active enzyme to generate this vitamin to reap the full health advantages of this superfood.
The bioactive component that gives carrots their orange color is beta-carotene. The conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A decreases "bad" cholesterol in the blood, according to human and mouse studies, resulting in regulated blood pressure.
As a result, beta-carotene may aid in the prevention of atherosclerosis, which is characterized by the accumulation of lipids and cholesterol in our arteries. Cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death worldwide.
3. Improves Brain Functions
Have you ever experienced wanting to point out something, but for some bizarre reason, you can’t seem to put your mind to it? This is called brain fog. This is not a disease, but rather a symptom that your brain is not getting enough of what it needs.
Vitamin deficiency, sleep issues, bacterial overgrowth from sugar overconsumption, depression, or even a thyroid condition can all cause brain fog. Eating too much and too often, inactivity, not getting enough sleep, persistent stress, and a poor diet are all major causes of brain fog.
Peppers, celery, peppermint, rosemary, and chamomile all contain the chemical luteolin. According to researchers from the University of Illinois, the findings imply that consuming a balanced diet may lower age-related inflammation in the brain, resulting in improved cognitive function.
Combine this with the other antioxidants and minerals that carrot juice has, and you might just clear your brain from all the fogging, all without spending too much.
4. Improves Liver Functions
In Western countries, Alcoholic Liver Disease is the leading cause of chronic liver disease. This is caused by excessive alcohol consumption, which damages the liver and causes fat buildup, inflammation, and scarring. It has the potential to be fatal.
While liver cells are normally regenerating and are capable of handling detoxification by themselves, a person cannot live up to 3 days without the liver. And treatments might go a little overboard sometimes. According to research, the average annual costs were estimated to be $17,277 among patients with no cirrhosis; around $22,752 among patients with compensated cirrhosis; and $59,995 annually among patients with end-stage liver disease.
But, what if we told you that there's a cost-effective way of dealing with liver diseases without the risks of the medications' side effects? And yes, that’s by consuming fresh carrot juice.
The link between carrots and their ability to control the elevation of liver enzymes is mostly due to their beta-carotene content that, according to studies, lessened oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death.
Although the study was done on mice, the antioxidants in carrot juice mixed with vitamins and minerals are just as effective on humans. Drinking it will really save your bank account when it comes to liver diseases. The ability of carrot juice to defend our body against infections also eases the burden on our liver to create more antibodies.
5. Reduces Risk for Cancer
The World Health Organization reported nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 due to cancer, making it the leading cause of death worldwide. And we all know that chemotherapy not only causes many side effects but also weakens the immune system.
Though there is no one-size-fits-all solution for preventing all types of cancer, great discoveries have been made about how particular foods might help with prevention. Carrots have long been known for their eye-health benefits, but they are now gaining appeal among scientists as a cancer-fighting vegetable juice.
For instance, a population-based case-control study suggests that eating carrots more than twice weekly has proven preventive effects against breast cancer.
Beta-carotene, which is found in great amounts in carrots, has known anti-cancer properties. Moreover, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition did a study on beta-carotene’s anti-cancer properties and concluded that “overall results are promising and several plausible cancer preventive mechanisms have been reported for beta-carotene.”
Although studies on human samples are yet to be conducted, the antioxidants in carrots — with their overflowing levels of vitamins and minerals — are indeed helpful in managing cancer as they help boost immune response, and prevent cancer cells from fostering.
6. Regulates Sugar Levels
Diabetes is one of the most frequent lifestyle diseases that is also one of the most preventable. Diabetes can cause nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, cardiovascular illness, and even Alzheimer's disease when left untreated. Despite the fact that medicine for diabetes control is well-established, carrot juice is a natural way to treat diabetes while also reaping all of the other benefits.
When dealing with diabetes, it is vital to note the Glycemic Index of the food that we eat.
The slower your blood sugar rises, the lower the glycemic index (GI). Carrots have a GI of 16 when raw. Boiling carrots have a GI ranging from 32 to 49. Carrots are thus classified as low-glycemic foods.
Low Glycemic Index — 1 to 55
Medium Glycemic Index — 56 to 69
High Glycemic Index — 70 or above
If you cook or prepare any food containing honey or other carbohydrates, the glycemic index will rise. Carrots, on the other hand, are abundant in dietary fiber, which slows the release of sugar. They also have a lower glycemic index than potatoes and other root vegetables.
Moreover, the antioxidants in carrots like luteolin help prevent oxidative stress, which in turn, prevents tissue damage and inflammation.
Luteolin is a flavonoid that inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokines. Luteolin is a powerful anti-diabetic substance thanks to its cellular activities and characteristics. The antioxidant activity of luteolin, together with its hypoglycemic properties, preserves the pancreas and aids insulin secretion, making it useful in maintaining blood sugar levels.
Luteolin is also found in a wide range of plant species, including food plants such as celery, apples, and cucumbers.
7. Increases Body Metabolism
The ability of carrots to help us lose weight is one of the reasons why nutritionists and fitness enthusiasts regularly recommend including them in our diets. While eating fresh carrots is the greatest way to lose weight, juicing carrots is also a wonderful option.
Carrots are high in vitamins, particularly vitamin A. According to a study published in Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, our bodies convert vitamin A from food into molecules called retinoids, which interact with our fat cells and impact new fat cell formation, fat accumulation, and obesity. According to the findings, vitamin A may aid in the reduction of abdominal obesity, also known as belly fat, which has a number of major health hazards.
Moreover, carrots are low in calories but have huge amounts of dietary fiber. This combination will help your weight loss journey as fiber will make you feel full, and the low caloric content will help your body burn fat as a source of energy.
8. Increases Oxygen in the Blood
To survive, most living things require oxygen. Oxygen aids in the growth, reproduction, and conversion of food into energy of organisms. Humans obtain oxygen by breathing into their lungs through their nose and mouth. Our cells require oxygen to break down food in order to obtain the energy they require to exist.
When oxygen levels are too low, what happens? Because your body requires oxygen to function properly, if your oxygen levels are too low, your body may not function as it should. You may also have confusion, dizziness, chest pain, headache, rapid breathing, and a racing heart in addition to difficulties breathing.
Lucky for us, carrots are a great source of the mineral called iron, which is necessary for hemoglobin production. In fact, iron-deficiency anemia is the most common anemia worldwide. With carrot's high iron content, it is unlikely that you will suffer from this disease when you make drinking carrot juice your daily habit.
9. Promotes Lung Health
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality in men and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the world. Tobacco smoking, secondhand smoke exposure, and radon exposure are all risk factors for lung cancer, according to epidemiological studies.
Carrots are the primary source of beta-carotene, a great antioxidant that prevents damage to cells and tissues. According to a study conducted by the Cambridge University Press, daily intake of carrots has shown a lower chance of developing lung cancer.
Moreover, carrots are a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and lycopene, which are all necessary nutrients to maintain good lung health.
10. Promotes Skin Health
Your skin will appear healthier if you consume more carrots. The abundance of vitamin C and antioxidants in them is the key cause for this. You may also construct a facial mask out of carrots for faster results. Simply combine grated carrot and honey in a bowl and apply to your skin.
Carrot juice is recommended for persons who want to get rid of acne, scars, or blemishes. Alternatively, you can apply carrot pulp to your face to help reduce scars and blemishes. The anti-inflammatory properties assist to tone and revitalize your skin.
Vitamin C also aids in the production of collagen in the body. Collagen is a protein that helps maintain the flexibility of your skin. Because vitamin A is an antioxidant, it fights free radicals, preventing wrinkles, discoloration, and uneven skin tones, all of which are classic indications of aging.
Carrots contain beta-carotene, which protects and conditions the skin. Your skin will become more resistant to sun damage in general. You can improve your sunblock simply by consuming carrot juice. It should be noted, however, that it is not a substitute for sunscreen.
11. Boosts Immune System
The lymph nodes and veins, the spleen, white blood cells, the skin, and the mucosal membranes of the respiratory tract are all components of the immune system. While the immune system relies on other substances such as lipids and proteins, the vitamins and minerals that are rich in carrots are a great way to boost your immunity.
Vitamin C helps in the production of antibodies, which are responsible for fighting off bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A maintains our body barriers like our mucosal membranes and the skin, preventing the entrance of microorganisms in the body. Vitamin E helps prevent cellular damage by protecting the cell membranes of healthy cells.
Minerals found in carrot juice also play a huge role in supporting the immune system. Zinc, Iron, and Copper are minerals present in carrots that are usually made into supplements along with vitamins available in the market. They help by building immune cells and attacking bacteria and viruses as well.
12. Boosts Hormone Synthesis
If you have problems with hormonal imbalances, fresh carrot juice might do the trick for you. Raw carrots include an indigestible fiber that helps the body's natural detoxification process run more smoothly.
When you eat a raw carrot, the fiber binds to excess estrogen hormone in your body and helps to safely remove it. Carrot fiber also reduces estrogen resorption in the colon, which can occur when transit time is slow. Too much estrogen (whether produced by the body, the diet, or exposure to xenoestrogens in the environment) can cause a variety of hormonal issues, including PMS, mood disorders, and acne.
Another advantage of raw carrot fiber is that, unlike other fibers, it helps to reduce the number of harmful bacteria (also known as endotoxins) in the stomach. What is the connection between bacteria and hormones?
Then there's the clincher. One of the most common causes of hormone imbalance is intestinal bacteria. The bacteria causes a long-term strain on the liver, preventing it from performing its normal function of processing and removing hormones.
Risks
Although carrots are a great source of a lot of nutrients that we need daily, there are a few side effects that we should take notice of.
As always, we advise you to get in touch with your physician before incorporating anything to your diet. Here are some of the risks of taking too much carrot juice.
Allergic Reactions
Some people are hypersensitive to carrots. Skin rash, diarrhea, anaphylactic responses, hives, and edema are common adverse effects. Carrot pollen contains an allergen that causes these sensitivities.
Carotenemia
While carrots are good for the skin, too much of it might cause you to appear sickly rather than healthy. Beta carotene, which is abundant in carrots, is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Carotenemia, or a yellowish tint of the skin, is caused by consuming a lot of carrots, which results in a lot of carotene in your blood.
Unsafe for Infants
If you have babies and you want to introduce carrots to their food, you might consider doing research or consulting your doctors first.
Carrots are root crops that undergo washing or cleansing before reaching the market. Usually, the washing process includes chlorine, which is unsafe for babies.
Moreover, consuming too much carrots and carrot juice might alter the mother's breast milk flavor and may affect the baby's response and appetite to it.
Top 3 Carrot Juice Recipes
Now that we've discussed all the wonderful benefits of the majestic carrot juice, let's get juicing!
Although there are a lot of bottled or canned carrot juice available in the market, organic, homemade are better. We've listed our favorite carrot juice recipe just for you.
Carrot Apple Celery Juice
Ingredients:
- 7 oz carrot
- 7 oz apple
- 1 oz celery
- 0.25 oz ginger
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4 oz ice cubes
Instructions:
- Wash everything thoroughly with clean water.
- Peel and cut the carrots into quarters, vertically. Peel the apple, remove the core, and slice it into chunks. Chop the celery ribs into 3 equal parts. Scrape off the skin of the ginger.
- Run all the ingredients through an intoxicating juicer.
- Stir to mix the juice up. Divide the juice into small portions, add the ice cubes, and enjoy. Preserve the leftover juice in an airtight jar to avoid oxidation.
Recipe Source: Healthy Recipes 101
Carrot Apple Ginger Juice (Without the need for a juicer)
Ingredients:
- 1 large apple, cored and chopped
- 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
- ½ inch long piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
- ½ lemon or lime
- ¾ cup water
Instruction:
- Wash carrots and apples in running water and dry them.
- Pour ¾ cup water in the blender.
- Add apples, ginger, and carrots. Blend until smooth.
- Line a cheesecloth over a large bowl and pour the mixture over it.
- Gather all sides of the cheesecloth and squeeze to get maximum juice.
- Discard the pulp.
- Add the lime or lemon juice and stir with a spoon. Serve chilled.
Recipe Source: Food Viva
Carrot, Cucumber and Apple Juice
Ingredients:
- 4 carrots
- 1 green apple
- 1 cucumber juice
- Lime
- A piece of ginger
Instructions:
- Wash everything well.
- Peel the cucumber, lemon, and apple if they're not organic.
- Place everything in the juicer.
- Serve chilled.
Recipe Source: Brown Sugar and Vanilla
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