Carrots come in various colours and are rich in vitamin A, making them great for eye health, but purple carrots also contain antioxidants that can help to fight inflammation. All carrots are packed full of nutrients, but only purple carrots offer health benefits carried by purple fruits and vegetables.
Carrots are rich in fiber, biotin, manganese, potassium, vitamins A, C, B6, and K1 regardless of colour, and one cup or raw purple carrots contains about 52 calories. Purple carrots contain at least 9 times more polyphenol antioxidants which can help to reduce mental decline, cancer and heart disease risks.
Those that follow vegetable rich diets typically will weigh less than those who consume less vegetables according to population studies. Carrots are low in calories yet pack a nutrient punch which makes them a good choice for snack to anyone wanting to lose weight while avoiding added sugars and preservatives.
Purple carrots have been shown to be good for those with certain medical conditions including inflammatory intestinal conditions and metabolic syndrome. Anthocyanins found in purple carrots can help to lower cholesterol and reduce high blood sugar which can be of benefit to those with metabolic syndrome. Consuming purple carrots has been shown to help lower blood levels of proinflammatory proteins which was believed to also be due to their anthocyanin content.
Anthocyanins are polyphenol antioxidants that are found in purple fruits and vegetables like grapes, blackberries, purple potatoes, purple cabbage, and purple carrots that help to protect the body from oxidative stress.
Consuming a diet rich in anthocyanin rich purple foods can help prevent inflammation linked conditions and help to lower risk of conditions such as heart disease. A study published in the journal Nutrients found those who followed a diet rich in anthocyanins had improved blood flow and better blood vessel function. Anthocyanins may also help to protect against mental decline, and lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Anthocyanins are suggested to inhibit growth and spread of colon, liver, skin, breast, and blood cancer cells in test tube studies, and rats fed a diet supplemented with purple carrot extract were found that have less cancerous development.
Purple carrots are rich in vitamins and minerals as well as plant compounds with various health benefits, eating them can help to boost heart health, promote weight loss, reduce inflammation, and decrease cancer risk. They make good additions to any meal, juice or smoothie that can be consumed raw or cooked.
