Sunday 4 January 2009

~Facts about Carrots~


Carrots are a root vegetable that originated in Afghanistan. They were purple,red,white, and yellow,but never orange.

The orange colour we know is the result of Dutch cultivation in the 17th Century,when patriotic growers turned a vegetable which was then purple into the colour of the national flag.

The Ancient Greeks called the carrot a philtron,which translates to "love charm." They believed the carrot made both men and women more amorous.

The orange-colored taproot of the carrot contains a high concentration of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a substance that is converted to vitamin A in the human body. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked carrots contains four times the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in the form of protective beta-carotene.

Beta-carotene is also a powerful antioxidant effective in fighting against some forms of cancer, especially lung cancer. Current research suggests that it may also protect against stroke, and heart disease. Research also shows that the beta-carotene in vegetables supplies this protection, not vitamin supplements.

Carrots are also a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C,vitamin K,folate and manganese, and a good source of vitamin B6,pantothenic acid,iron,potassium and copper.

Scientists in the US say they have created a genetically-engineered carrot that provides extra calcium.

They hope that adding the vegetable to a normal diet could help ward off conditions such as brittle bone disease and osteoporosis.

Someone eating the new carrot absorbs 41% more calcium than if they ate the old,the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study suggests.

The calcium-charged vegetable still needs to go through many safety trials.

A gene has been altered in the carrot which allows the calcium within it to cross more easily over the plant membranes.

On its own, the carrot would not meet the daily requirement of 1,000mg of calcium, but if other vegetables were similarly engineered, intake could be increased dramatically.

by Dietitian Nicole Maftoum

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