Craving for Carrots

As the winter months of November and December have drawn in India, one can see mounds of plump carrots in vegetable markets, eye catching in all their orange glory amidst the green. Carrots do not  come only in rich orange color, but they grow in a host of other colors too– white, yellow, red, or purple, the latter being the color of the original variety. It has a thick, fleshy, deeply coloured root, which grows underground, and feathery green leaves that emerge above ground.

The name carrot is ‘Celtic’, which means ‘red in color.’ Scientifically it is known as ‘Daucus Carota’ that signifies its pungent and stimulating qualities. The favorite food of Bugs Bunny hardly needs a description. They are well known as yummy carrots and loved by everybody for their crunchy texture and sweet taste. If you are looking to keep your family healthy get glued to carrots, as they can be a favourite of everyone in the household, including your finicky kid. There are over 100 different varieties of carrots that vary in size and color. Carrot roots have a crunchy texture and a sweet and minty aromatic taste, while the greens are fresh tasting and slightly bitter.

Carrots were subsequently introduced into the North American colonies. Owing its heightened popularity, in the early 1800s, the carrot became the first vegetable to be canned. Today, the United States, France, England, Poland, China and Japan are among the largest producers of carrots. The carrot is relatively easy to grow and, in many areas, can be sown in late July or August for fall harvest and with a little care they can be left in the ground long past the first frost. They grow best in cool temperatures of early spring and late fall. However, some shade serves a healthy atmosphere for growing carrots. It grows well in small gardens and flowerbeds easily.

Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds and the richest vegetable source of the beta carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A. In addition, they are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium. And this is the month when the best of the harvests is easily available with your local vegetable vendor and you don’t need to be content with the wooden variety.

The nutrition quotient

Carrot in ancient times was much valued for its medicinal propertied. You should include it into your diet and it will supercharge your health.

• It may come across as a myth but it is not. Carrot really helps your eyesight. This is due to the beta-carotene, which gives carrot the orange color and also the name. After beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the liver, it travels to the retina where it is transformed into rhodopsin, a purple pigment that is necessary for night-vision. 
• Reduce your risk of heart attack by enlisting carrots into your diet. In one study that examined the diets of 1,300 elderly persons in Massachusetts, those who had at least one serving of carrots and/or squash each day had a 60% reduction in their risk of heart attacks compared to those who ate less than one serving of these carotenoid-rich foods per day. 
• Study has proved something which you always expected–if you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making Vitamin A rich foods, such as carrots, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life.
• Intake of foods such as carrots that are rich in carotenoids may be beneficial to blood sugar regulation. 
• Carrots are rich in minerals and known to be very useful for your skin. It is said that cooked carrots are more nutritional as well as equipped with more benefits.

This winter throw in carrots often in milk and whip out delicious mouthwatering kheer and halwa, also add them to soups and stir them with regular veggies or eat them raw in salads. Whatever way you enjoy, this much is for sure you are going to benefit from this super antioxidant in a big way.

Buyers beware

Carrot roots should be firm, smooth, relatively, straight and bright in colour. The deeper the orange-color, the more beta-carotene is present in the carrot. Avoid carrots that are excessively cracked or forked as well as those that are limp or rubbery.

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