According to traditional Chinese medicine, carrots can tonify the middle jiao, strengthen the stomach and aid digestion, invigorate the primordial yang, and pacify the five zang organs. They are effective for conditions such as indigestion, chronic dysentery, cough, and night blindness, earning them the nickname "little ginseng". Carrots have a particular nature; it is best to eat them alone or cook them with meat or oils. They are particularly unsuitable to be paired with the following foods:
1. Chili Peppers Carrots contain vitamin C decomposing enzymes, while chili peppers are rich in vitamin C. When eaten raw together, this reduces the nutritional value of the chili peppers. However, vitamin C decomposing enzymes are not heat-resistant and can be destroyed at 50°C, so there is no need to worry when they are cooked.
2. Vinegar Carrots contain a large amount of beta-carotene, which is sensitive to acid. Therefore, do not add vinegar when cooking carrots.
3. Daikon Radish Daikon radish contains various enzymes, mustard oil, lignin, interferon inducers, and other substances, and has beneficial effects such as aiding digestion, anti-cancer, anti-viral infection, enhancing the body's immunity, and producing interferon. However, these substances are not heat-resistant and will be destroyed at a temperature of 70°C. Carrots, on the contrary, are rich in beta-carotene; when eaten raw, over 70% of the beta-carotene cannot be absorbed. Cooking them with edible oil can improve the absorption and utilization rate of beta-carotene. Additionally, because carrots contain vitamin C decomposing enzymes, eating them together will destroy the vitamin C in the daikon radish.