They may sound like something out of Alice in Wonderland but purple carrots are not only real, they're being positioned as the next superfood.
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| Purple Carrots |
Purple carrots were grown wild 5,000 years ago in the area now known as Afghanistan. And there were
red,white and yellow carrot. Some say there were even
black and green carrot! Carrots only became orange in the 1500′s when a patriotic Dutch growers developed a carrot (Red mix with Yellow) in an attempt to nationalize the country’s favorite vegetable...
Orange is the national colour of the Netherlands!
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| Varieties of carrot |
We all know about the numerous health benefits of carrots (Daucus carota L.), they are an excellent source of vitamin A, and contain phytochemicals including carotenoids, phenolics, polyacetylenes, isocoumarins, and sesquiterpenes.
Phytochemicals are plant chemicals that have antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and other disease preventive and health enhancing properties.
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| Purple carrots: is a healthier choice than the orange carrot. |
Not only do purple carrots contain all of the phytochemicals found in orange carrots, they also contain
anthocyanins, potent antioxidants. Anthocyanins are responsible for the
bright red, blue and purple colors of fruits and vegetables. Anthocyanins are abundant in berries, especially the blueberry, which has exceptionally high antioxidant activity.
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| Anthocyanins are naturally found in purple carrots |
Purple carrots have the added benefit of
anthocyanins that are naturally bred in purple carrots and are great antioxidants.
Antioxidants work to protect the body’s cells from free radicals which are unstable molecules with potentially destructive side effects. Anthocyanins are antioxidants and they give many vegetables their red, purple, and blue coloring.
In fact, purple carrots have
28 times more of these anthocyanins than an orange carrot. Growers love purple carrots because they are easier to grow and produce than other antioxidant-rich produce like blueberries.
Anthocyanins were put to the test in 2007 and lab-based results indicated that these pigments were helpful against a variety of health concerns including cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases and bacterial infections. Of the many biological enhancements, anthocyanins include
anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic and antimicrobial properties. The anti-carcinogenic power of the purple carrot has been tested to help against cancer, strokes, heart disease and even diabetes. Unfortunately, the human body can only absorb so much anthocyanins so it is best to keep your servings of purples carrots small and not overdo it.
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| The next superfood |
The
roots of these carrots can also be used to promote health. The roots have been used to treat intestinal parasites, constipation, indigestion and tonsil issues. In
ancient times, the purple carrot was used as medicine to treat everything from dog bites to syphilis. Men believed the carrot to be an aphrodisiac and used it to make women more pliable and men more passionate! Wow...but.. this is not scientifically proven!
Read also:
Benefits of Olive Oil
While the purple carrot may not be easy to come across right now, the health benefits and color appeal of this vegetable are making the spotlight and getting noticed. The Food and Drug Administration has approved for carrots to be marketed as fat free, low sodium, a good source of fiber, high in Vitamin A, and cholesterol free.
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| My favorite purple carrot juice |
Nutritionists and farmers everywhere are starting to get wise to the purple carrot’s appeal. While the color at first may be off putting or exotically interesting, the purple carrot is more than just a visual show stopper. It can also be a healthy person’s best friend.
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| Vegood is without preservative |
One of the best purple carrot juice can be found in Malaysia is
Vegood! Now you should try yourself the taste and benefit of purple carrot.
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| Some of Vegood Purple Carrot juice range. |
