Carrots are rich in beneficial properties for health. Antioxidants, skin and sight friends offer numerous other benefits. Let’s find out the properties of carrots together.

When we think of carrots we think of the most common orange variety but in reality there are different colors, for example white, purple, red and yellow. The first carrots grown in ancient Egypt and in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan were purple carrots. Only later, in the 1700s in the Netherlands, orange carrots were selected. Currently the purple carrot variety has been recovered and is considered very valuable for its nutritional characteristics, even better than those of the most common orange carrot.

Although carrots are found on the counters of our markets throughout the year, spring is the most suitable season for sowing and summer is the best for harvesting (which usually takes place 2 or 3 months after sowing). Carrots harvested in summer also have a brighter color due to the milder temperatures in which they grew. Now let’s take a look at the main nutrients present and examine the properties of carrots.

The numerous nutrients present give the carrots properties particularly useful for the well-being of sight, heart, skin and digestive system. The carrots are also known for their high content in beta carotene, a plant pigment that is not surprisingly named after this vegetable, from which it was isolated for the first time. Beta carotene is an antioxidant compound that counteracts the production of free radicals, responsible for cellular aging. Moreover, in the body it is converted into vitamin A, essential for many biological functions such as, for example, vision, cell differentiation during embryonic development, ovarian and testicular function, bone development.

After seeing the properties of the carrots, let’s see how to use them and some tips to choose the best ones. First of all, when we buy carrots, we should make sure they are very hard and have a smooth surface, but above all a bright color. The ideal would be to choose them complete with leaves but in their absence it is sufficient to verify that the leaves are not dry. If well preserved they are able to keep their freshness for up to two weeks, the important thing is to keep them in the refrigerator wrapped in a plastic bag for food or, better, in paper towels. In this way they do not lose their natural moisture. The best way to eat carrots and fully enjoy both their organoleptic characteristics and their beneficial effects is to eat them raw, alone as crispy snacks, or in tasty mixed salads. Many of the phytonutrients present in the carrot, in fact, are damaged by heat even if beta carotene, in particular, is particularly resistant to high temperatures. The best way to cook them is steamed, since in these conditions beta carotene is more easily assimilated by the body. Naturally, since they grow in the ground, it would be preferable to buy organic carrots, grown with natural and not synthetic fertilizers.