Carrot Facts

*Carrots are a root vegetable that originated in Afghanistan. They were purple, red, white, and yellow. Both the Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated carrots. They are a member of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes celery, parsley, dill, cilantro, caraway, cumin, and the poisonous hemlock.
*The Ancient Greeks called the carrot a philtron, which translates to "love charm." China, Japan, and India were cultivating carrots by the 13th century.
*In the 16th century, Dutch carrot growers invented the orange carrot in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. They did this by cross breeding pale yellow carrots with red carrots. The carrot soon caught on in England as both a food & a fashion accessory. Ladies used carrot tops to decorate their hats.
*The settlers at Jamestown in 1607 introduced carrots to North America..
*China is the world's top carrot producer. The country produced 35 percent of the world's carrots in 2004. Russia is the 2nd top producer and the US the third. California is the top fresh carrot producer, Washington state is the top producer of carrots meant for canning and other processing.
*Orange carrots get their color from beta carotene, more than any other vegetable. One cup of carrots has 16,679 IU of beta-carotene. The body converts carotene to vitamin A. This is also an excellent source of vitamins B and C as well as calcium pectate, an extraordinary pectin fiber that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Carrot greens are high in vitamin K. Potassium, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate and Manganese are also found in carrots & they are about 87% water.
*Eating too many carrots can cause a person's skin to turn yellowish orange. This is called carotenemia. It is completely reversible once the consumption of carrots is reduced. The Average person will eat 10,866 carrots in their lifetime. One cup of raw carrots contains about 52 calories.
*Keep carrots away from apples and tomatoes as these fruits give off higher amounts of ethylene gas and may make the carrots taste bitter.
* The highly cleansing power of carrots scrubs away even the old build-up of arterial deposits, reducing the risks of heart diseases and stroke.
* Studies show that adding one carrot per day in our diet significantly reduces cancer risks.
* Carrots are very effective in dispelling mucus from the ear, nose and throat area, easing nasal congestion, sinusitis, phlegm and mucus in the throat and other similar disorders.
* Its anti-inflammatory effect greatly helps reduce arthritis, rheumatism, gout and other inflammations. It does wonders for boosting the immune system by increasing the production and performance of white blood cells; building resistant to various kinds of infections.