Do you know what vegetable is called "little ginseng"? As you can guess, it is indeed a carrot.
As a root vegetable, carrots are not only similar in appearance to ginseng but also rich in nutrients. Besides being rich in carotene, they are also an excellent source of minerals and vitamins. This determines that carrots will become an indispensable food on the table.
But in reality, there are many more untold anecdotes about carrots.
1. Carrots were the new food of WWII
As early as the 14th century, there were records of carrot cultivation in China. However, since the ancients did not find relevant documents in the ancient books, they used carrots as feed for livestock. It wasn't until World War II that Britain stumbled across easy-to-grow carrots that were perfect for military supplies, sparking the rise of carrots.
2. Real carrots turned out to be purple
In our perception, carrots are only orange, but real carrots are purple. The orange carrots we see now originated in the Netherlands. In the 17th century, Dutch farmers used hybridization to turn carrots from purple to orange. After that, carrots became famous all over the world.
Although there are not many beautiful stories about carrots, it goes without saying that carrots are rich in nutrients for the human body.
1. Promote growth and development
Carotene, the most abundant in carrots, will be decomposed into vitamin A under the action of digestive enzymes in the liver and small intestinal mucosa after entering the human body. Vitamin A is an essential substance for bone development, which can accelerate the reproduction and regeneration of cells and promote growth and development.
2. Lower blood sugar and lipid, protect cardiovascularly
The soluble sugars rich in carrots are excellent hypoglycemic substances. The two components, quercetin and kaempferol can also increase coronary blood flow and reduce blood lipids. Potassium succinate can effectively prevent arteriosclerosis. Therefore, carrots can be used as the most suitable daily food for hypertension, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease patients.
3. Enhance immunity, prevent cancer, and fight cancer
Lignin in carrots can improve human immunity, and converting carotene into vitamin A helps enhance immune function. Especially in preventing epithelial cell carcinogenesis, it can play an essential role in eliminating cancer cells and has anti-cancer effects.
4. Anti-aging
Carotene plays an antioxidant role in the normal metabolism of the human body, can remove free radicals in the human skin, and help skin cells to delay the aging process to achieve the purpose of anti-aging.
Because of this rich nutrition, carrots are not only popular on the table but have also become an indispensable source of raw materials in nutrition and health care. Especially in many dietary supplements, carrot powder is the main ingredient. It can be found in baby food, baked goods, solid beverages, and more.