Carrot juice provides a colorful and nutritious start to your day. A glass of it offers valuable nutrition and a slightly sweet, earthy taste you'll know right away.
Daucus carota sativus is the domesticated carrot, and it looks nothing like its ancestor, the wild carrot, known as Daucus carota. Wild carrot is native to many parts of Asia, Europe, and Northern Africa, but domestication started in the Iranian Plateau around five thousand years ago. This high elevation area is where Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan exist today.
Groups in this region began favoring plants based on their color and flavor, eventually cultivating two main varieties: the Eastern/Asiatic carrot, which is purple or a deep red-orange, and the Western carrot, which is orange, white, or deep yellow.
Domesticated carrots co-existed with wild carrots, although only the domesticated carrot was used for food. During the 1700s, Europeans began favoring the orange variety. The Dutch were especially fond of orange carrots, and it is from their influence that we have the modern orange carrot.
Today, carrots grow in countries all across the world, with the largest producers being the United States, China, India, and Russia. Orange carrots remain the most popular variety and are used for most carrot juices.
Nutrition Information
Orange carrots and carrot juice are rich in beta-carotene and vitamin A. One 8-ounce glass of carrot juice has about 800% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A and about 16 mg of beta-carotene, more than enough to meet your daily requirement.
Carrots also contain numerous vitamins and minerals that help improve your health:
- Vitamin A
- Beta-carotene
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Lutein
- Thiamin
- Niacin
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin E
- Potassium
- Manganese
- Copper
- Phosphorus
One 8-oz glass of pure carrot juice contains:
- 80 calories
- 2 grams of protein
- 0 grams of fat and cholesterol
- 17 grams of carbohydrates
- 2 grams of fiber
- 10 grams of sugar
- 50 milligrams of sodium.
- Health benefits
- 1. Rev up your metabolismVroom, vroom! Carrot juice can really get your metabolism running, especially when you swap it for the likes of orange juice or soda.Since it’s also pretty dang filling, it can be helpful for those looking to sip on something sweet while maintaining a healthy weight. It also boosts the secretion of bile (a bodily fluid that breaks down fat), which can help speed up your metabolism.2. See more clearlyOK, the rumors are true: Carrot juice helps improve eyesight. Carrots are rich in beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that’s a powerful antioxidant.Vitamin A helps strengthen the surface of the eye, which promotes healthy vision. Carrots also have lutein, an antioxidant that shields the eye from harmful light and has a number of eye-boosting benefits.A 2013 study found that many of the nutrients in carrots can help combat eye disorders like macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.3. Reduce cancer riskCancer develops when abnormal cells emerge and multiply. Thankfully, carrots are rich in antioxidants that can help prevent this cell damage before it begins.Munching on fruits and non-starchy vegetables like carrots may decrease the risk of developing mouth, esophagus, lung, stomach, and other cancers.A 2018 study also found that carrot consumption was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, and a 2020 study found a similar correlation between carrot intake and the risk of colorectal cancer.
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