As the saying goes, "eat radish in winter and ginger in summer, don't work for doctors to prescribe medicine", now is winter, it is a good time to eat radish in season. However, Coco would like to ask everyone a question: is a carrot a turnip?
In fact, radish belongs to the genus Radish of the Cruciferous family, including white radish, red radish, green radish, etc., although carrots look similar to radishes, they are actually carrots in the family Apiaceae. The two are not the same.
As we all know, cruciferous vegetables are rich in nutrients and are the "leaders" in the health industry, and many studies have shown that they are good for cancer prevention, antioxidant and vascular protection. The carrots, which do not belong to the cruciferous family, are not more general in nutrition and not worth recommending?
In fact, carrots are rich in carotene, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and other nutrients, which also have high health value, and even studies have shown that it is helpful to reduce the risk of cancer and prolong life.
1. New research: often eat carrots
Helps prevent cancer and prolong life
1. 5 carrots per week, 20% reduction in cancer risk
On December 17 this year, researchers from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom published a study showing that eating more carrots is associated with cancer incidence.
The researchers meta-analyzed 198 eligible studies, including nearly 139,000 cancer cases and nearly 4,708,000 participants, collected carrot intake through questionnaires, and analyzed the relationship between carrot intake, α-carotene plasma concentration, and cancer incidence. It was found that:
- Eating 400g (about 5 carrots) per week reduced the risk of cancer by 20% compared to people who did not eat carrots, and just 60g per week reduced the risk of cancer by 4%.
- Analysis of plasma α-carotene showed that those with the highest plasma α-carotene levels had a 20% lower risk of cancer than those with the lowest plasma α-carotene levels, and a 50 ug/L increase in plasma -carotene levels was equivalent to a 9% reduction in overall cancer risk.
Researchers say carrots may reduce cancer risk through mechanisms of action such as inflammation regulation, not limited to specific organs. Therefore, it is recommended that people eat one carrot a day.
2. Eating carrots often may help prolong life
On December 8 this year, researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute published a study showing that the natural alkynes in carrots can prolong the lifespan of nematodes. In addition, in mice, supplementation with this compound improves glucose metabolism, increases exercise tolerance, and alleviates debilitating parameters in old age.
This means that this natural compound in carrots may delay and improve aging-related diseases in humans.
2. Eat carrots often
There are also 4 unexpected benefits to be gained
In addition to helping to prevent cancer and prolong life, eating carrots regularly is also good for eye protection, cardiovascular protection, and maintenance of immunity.
1. Protect your eyes
The most prominent nutrition of carrots is that they are rich in carotene, especially the β-carotene content is as high as 2653ug/100 grams, which is 1.4 times that of leeks and 631 times that of Chinese cabbage. The β-carotene content of Xinjiang carrots can be as high as 5739ug/100g. [1]
Carotene, also known as provitamin A, can be converted into vitamin A in the body, which is very important for protecting vision - vitamin A is a component of photoreceptors in visual cells, and a deficiency can lead to night blindness, and in severe cases, it can cause xerophthalmia and even blindness.
In addition, carrots also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which are also important components of macular pigment in the human cornea, which can protect the retina from blue light damage and improve visual acuity.
2. Maintain immunity
The human immune system has three lines of defense, the first line of defense is the skin and mucous membranes, if this line of defense is breached, bacteria and viruses can easily enter the body.
After carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body, it can promote the proliferation of mucosal cells, maintain the integrity of the mucosal barrier, and protect the first line of immune defense.
At the same time, vitamin A is also a regulator of immunometabolic cells, which can promote the differentiation of epithelial tissue, may enhance the activity of macrophages and natural killer cells, and alter the growth and differentiation of lymphocytes, which is essential for maintaining the normal function of human epithelial cells.
For example, vitamin A deficiency can lead to atrophy, dryness, loss of cilia, and weakened disease resistance in the respiratory mucosal epithelium, making it more susceptible to upper respiratory tract diseases, with symptoms such as dry and itchy throat and cough, and less likely to heal. [2]
For this reason, vitamin A is also known as an "anti-infective nutrient". At present, winter is the season of high incidence of respiratory diseases, and it is very appropriate to eat more carrots to supplement vitamin A.
3. Protect the cardiovascular system
Researchers from the Auguste Pierre Sunil Institute of Biomedical Research in Spain and the Open University of Catalonia selected 200 volunteers aged 50~70 to measure their blood carotene content and use ultrasound imaging to observe their carotid atherosclerosis.
The results showed that high levels of carotene in the blood could reduce atherosclerosis, which in turn helped reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. And this effect is more pronounced in women.
And carrots are an excellent dietary source of carotene.
4. Prevent constipation
Although carrots do not taste very fibrous, data from the USDA Nutrient Database show that the dietary fiber content of carrots is 2.8g/100g, which is nearly 3 times the total dietary fiber content of bok choy. [3]
The intake of dietary fiber not only helps to enhance satiety, but also promotes gastrointestinal peristalsis, assists in the prevention and relief of constipation, and at the same time, dietary fiber is also the "ration" of intestinal probiotics, which is good for balancing intestinal flora and preventing intestinal diseases.
3. This is the recommended way to eat carrots
A lot of people eat the wrong thing all the time
Carotene is fat-soluble, and it is easier for the body to absorb and utilize when ingested with fat. Therefore, many people usually use a lot of oil to fry carrots, but this is actually not true.
1. A large amount of oil frying is easy to destroy carotene
Carotene is present in plant cells, and after heating, the cells become softer and more permeable, allowing for better release and improved bioavailability. However, studies have shown that cooking with oil as a medium increases the loss of carotene.
Experiments have shown that when simmering with oil and stir-frying and frying, the retention rate of β-carotene in carrots will be significantly reduced. For example, if you fry in oil for 2 minutes and then add water and simmer for 8 minutes, the retention rate is 75%, and the retention rate of fried carrots is 76%.
In addition, the carotene mixed in the soup is usually discarded, further resulting in the waste of carotene.
【Tips】
In fact, carotene needs to be paired with fat, but it is good to have them meet in the small intestine. In other words, carrots don't have to be fried in oil, and they can be well absorbed and utilized when eaten with other foods that contain oil.
2. Recommended carrot cooking method: steaming
Studies have found that steaming can preserve more than 87% of the β-carotene in carrots, which is a very recommended way to eat.
Next, Coco taught everyone a dish of steamed soy and shredded carrots.
Steamed bean and shredded carrots
【Ingredients】Carrots, flour, tempeh, minced garlic, red peppers, chives.
【Directions】
1. Wash and peel the carrots, cut them into shreds, add salt, mix well, and let stand for 5 minutes to kill water;
2. Dry the water in the shredded carrots, add 2 tablespoons of flour, fully grasp and mix evenly, so that each shredded carrot is hung with a thin layer of flour;
3. Add 8~10 tempeh;
4. Sit in the steamer with water, spread the shredded carrots evenly on the steaming drawer (a thin layer is OK), then cover and steam over high heat for 5 minutes;
5. Add a little minced garlic, red pepper and chopped chives to the carrots, and pour a small amount of hot oil on them.
Fourth, carrot tassel is a natural "calcium tablet"
It would be a shame to throw it away
If you buy a carrot with leaves, don't throw them away.
Because carrot tassel is known as "natural calcium tablets", the calcium content is as high as 350mg/100g. A 200g plate of cold carrot tassel has a calcium content of 700mg, which is equivalent to about 700ml of milk.
Not only that, carrot tassels are also rich in vitamin K, which is essential for osteogenesis, which helps to improve the absorption and utilization of calcium and strengthen bones.
【Cold Carrot Tapestry】Blanch the carrots, add minced garlic, light soy sauce, pepper oil, etc. and mix well.
Test you:
How to eat carrots?Come to the comment area and leave your answer~