Eating carrots can lead to a healthy and long life, a conclusion supported by scientific research. Many people wonder, why do carrots make people live longer? For this question, the following is an introduction for everyone.
Everyone knows that carotene is beneficial to health, and it is not only found in carrots but also in other vegetables and fruits. Moreover, the vitamin C content in carrots is quite average, and the levels of potassium, magnesium, and calcium are not outstanding. Its antioxidant ability is mediocre, and its fiber content is not among the highest. Besides providing a large amount of beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body, what other special benefits do carrots have?
Research has found that the concentration of alpha-carotene in human blood is negatively correlated with the mortality rate from various causes of death. In other words, the higher the concentration of alpha-carotene in the blood, the smaller the risk of premature death from various diseases, and the greater the hope for a healthy and long life.
Why is eating carrots better than other vegetables and fruits?
In fact, eating more vegetables and fruits can reduce cancer and heart disease and extend people's lifespan, which has been confirmed by countless studies and is not exactly news. However, why do eating vegetables and fruits lead to a longer life? There are multiple health factors involved, but which factors are the most powerful? This question has not yet been clarified.
In the past, people had high hopes for the beta-carotene found in large quantities in vegetables and fruits. It was even extracted and made into capsules for long-term use by subjects, but it did not show effects in extending lifespan or preventing cancer and heart disease. However, another carotene has brought new hope. It was found that in in vitro experiments, its ability to inhibit tumor cells is 10 times that of beta-carotene, and it is very effective in preventing abnormal changes in DNA. As early as over ten years ago, studies found that the higher the concentration of alpha-carotene in the blood, the lower the risk of heart disease for the subjects.
A large study conducted on 15,318 Americans found that people with the highest blood alpha-carotene concentration (above 9 μg/dL) had a 39% lower risk of total death from all causes. After eliminating the effects of various other factors, researchers still found that alpha-carotene concentration was the most effective factor in reducing the risk of death. In other words, even with identical lifestyles, consuming more alpha-carotene means a greater hope of staying away from disease and death.
Where does alpha-carotene come from?
At this point, people will ask, where does alpha-carotene come from? From the USDA food database, it is found that the food with the highest alpha-carotene content is still carrots.
If comparing beta-carotene content, carrots are undoubtedly the champion, but other dark green leafy vegetables are also quite outstanding, such as spinach and amaranth, and the difference is not that big. However, when it comes to alpha-carotene content, the data for carrots absolutely leaves other foods in the dust. Here are the main food sources of alpha-carotene:
Raw carrots: 3.48mg/100g; Boiled carrots (without salt): 3.77mg/100g; Dehydrated carrots: 14.25mg/100g; Carrot juice (sterilized canned): 4.34mg/100g
Pumpkin: 0.52; Green beans: 0.13mg; Orange: 0.111; Yellow corn: 0.063; Coriander: 0.044; Persimmon: 0.013; Orange: 0.011 Mango: 0.009; Papaya: 0.002
Looking at this data, it's clear that carrots are still an excellent vegetable. It should be noted that alpha-carotene is not afraid of cooking temperatures. When carrots are boiled in broth, as long as the broth is also consumed, there will be no significant loss of alpha-carotene. On the contrary, cooking them is more beneficial to the absorption of various carotenoids, and only a small amount of fat is needed for full absorption.