Immune & Recovery
Carrots
A familiar root vegetable best known for beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A for vision and immune support.
Vision
Detox
Skin Health
Serving
1 cup, chopped, raw (128g)
Calories Per Serving
52
Key nutrients
Beta-carotene, vitamin K, fiber
Nutrient density
336
Why it’s worth eating
Carrots are high in beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, and antioxidants. They support eye and immune health. Eat carrots raw, roasted, or juiced for a sweet, crunchy snack.
What you may notice
Visual comfort in low light
Skin tone and appearance
Markers worth tracking
Vitamin A / beta-carotene status
LDL cholesterol
How to eat it
Cooking actually increases how much beta-carotene your body can absorb compared to raw, since heat breaks down the tough plant cell walls.
Pairs well with
Healthy fats (olive oil, hummus), beta-carotene is fat-soluble and absorbs poorly without it
Black pepper, modestly enhances carotenoid absorption
Storage
Remove the green tops, which pull moisture from the root, and refrigerate in a perforated bag for several weeks.
The numbers, per 1 cup, chopped, raw (128g)
14%
Vitamin K
119%
Vitamin A
8%
Vitamin C
3%
Calcium
2%
Iron
4%
Magnesium
9%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
3.6g
Carrots, raw (FDC 170393)
Evidence
D
THE SINGLE CLEAREST WHOLE-FOOD-VERSUS-SUPPLEMENT LESSON IN NUTRITION. Carrots as food are beneficial; high-dose synthetic beta-carotene SUPPLEMENTS increased lung cancer in smokers. Carrot-specific clinical-endpoint RCTs are thin - the landmark trials are about supplements.
Study dose vs. serving
SUPPLEMENT HARM: ATBC found 18% excess lung cancer incidence and 8% excess total mortality in the beta-carotene arm. CARET found 28% more lung cancer cases and 17% higher overall mortality, and was stopped early. The authors emphasise these findings cannot be extrapolated to beta-carotene from foods like carrots.
ATBC Study Group. NEJM. 1994 (29,133 male smokers, 20 mg/day beta-carotene). Omenn GS, et al. CARET. NEJM. 1996 (smokers and asbestos-exposed workers, 30 mg/day beta-carotene plus retinyl palmitate).
Use caution if
You're managing blood sugar closely, cooked carrots have a higher glycemic index than raw
You eat very large amounts regularly, extreme excess beta-carotene can (harmlessly) tint the skin orange
Details
Type
Fruits & Veg
Season
Autumn, stores well, sweeter after frost
Forms
Fresh, baby-cut, frozen, juice
Price
Budget
Bioactive
Beta-carotene, plus lutein and anthocyanins in purple cultivars, and falcarinol
Heat stable
Yes - cooking and added fat substantially increase carotenoid absorption versus raw
Watch
Carotenodermia (benign yellow-orange skin discoloration from high intake) is well documented, harmless and reversible.
Reliability
4 / 5
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