Carrot juice - Top 10 health benefits, recipe and 5 side effects

Carrot is one of the few vegetables with which we all are familiar since our childhood as it was the favorite dish of our favorite cartoon character- 'Bunny the rabbit'.

This vegetable contains bulk of nutrients that can make fulfill your body's requirements but despite knowing this fact, we often ignore to include carrots in our diet. However if you do not like it, there is another alternative to eating carrot and that alternative is- 'drinking carrot'. Obviously I am talking about carrot juice!

Carrot juice is easy to consume as compared to eating slices. Enriched with many nutrients and antioxidants, carrot has the ability to fight many diseases. Today, we are going to discuss the health benefits of carrot juice, its recipe and its side effects.

Whole Carrots vs Carrot juice: Which one is better to consume?

Both whole carrots and carrot juice have their unique characterstics and nutrients. In this fight between whole carrots and carrot juice, unfortunately no one wins. It depends on the requirement of your body that which one you should consume. It is obvious that one glass of carrot juice contains concentrated amounts of nutrients as it takes nearly 5-6 carrots to prepare one glass of juice. Another factor to prefer juice to whole carrots is that the former is a lot more easy to consume than the latter. It is not possible for many people to eat 5 or 6 carrots in one go, but it is easy to consume a glass of carrot juice which contains almost equal amount of nutrients. However, one benefit of eating whole carrot is that it is rich in dietary fibers. Consuming whole carrots make your bowels clean and also prevents constipation. So, the bottom line is that if you want to your stomach clean, then go with whole carrots and if you want the nutrition, go with carrot juice.

Health benefits of carrot juice

Some health benefits of carrot juice are:

Slows down the aging process

Carrots contain antioxidant called carotenoids which helps in fighting the free radicals in our body and also slows down the process of aging. Foods which are rich in antioxidants helps in detoxifying the body and also prevents cancer and deadly heart diseases.

Boosts immunity

Juicing carrots is loaded with all vital nutrients that are needed by our body. Consuming a glass of carrot juice daily helps in improving the immunity of our body. It also protects the body from various harmful bacteria and viruses. Carrot juice is rich in vitamin B6, vitamin K, vitamin A, phosphorus, potassium and minerals, which make mind sharper and bones stronger.

Makes the heart healthy

Proper sleep and balanced diet are the two main reason which are responsible for making the heart healthy. Loaded with antioxidants and dietary fibers, carrot juice contributes a valuable share in making the heart healthy by removing plaque from the arteries and maintaining the blood circulation throughout the body.

Vitamin A enhancer

Vitamin A is a nutrient that is necessary for healthy eyes with good sight. Lack of vitamin A causes night blindness and blindness. Fruits that are yellow in color such as carrot and pumpkin are rich sources of vitamin A as they contain a pigment known as beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted in vitamin A when consumed by the body. Carrot juice is necessary for eyes and should be consumed on a regular basis.

Prevents cancer

After the process of digestion, some of the waste particles known as free radicals remain behind in the body and they tend to damage the cells. Consuming food items rich in antioxidants help in fighting against these free radicals, thereby preventing the possibilities of the development of cancerous cells.

Heals wounds

Carrot helps in healing external wounds such as cuts and scrapes. So, the next time when you do not get a first aid kit, just drink a glass of carrot juice.

Maintains bone health

Carrot juice contains potassium and vitamin K, which is essential for protein-building in the body. They also help in binding the calcium, which further helps in faster healing of broken bones.

Good for your skin

If you have a history of skin problems then carrot juice is an elixir for you. It contains vitamin C which has the ability to heal skin wounds. Also, carrots contain beta-carotene which helps in reducing skin inflammation.

Cleans the liver

Many a time, it becomes difficult to remove bile and toxins through the kidneys. Daily consumption of carrot juice detoxifies the liver by removing various toxins and bile, thereby improving the overall digestive system. A healthy body is known by a healthy liver.

Relief from gastric problems

Abdominal gas can be very painful for people. Consumption of carrot juice removes the gas stored in intestines and stomach and gives relief from bloating.

Carrot juice recipe

Making carrot juice is a child’s play. You can easily get a delicious glass of juice provided you have a juicer at your home. The steps involved in making carrot juice using a juicer are:

• Take 1 kg carrots and wash them properly. You can also peel them to remove the skin as nowadays many chemicals are used in their cultivation.

• Chop the carrots into pieces of about 3-4 inches.

• Put the pieces into the juicer and turn on the machine.

• Serve it immediately after adding lemon drops to it as it will induce a sweet-sour fusion of taste.

However, if you do not have a juicer, you can follow the steps mentioned below:

• Take 1 kg carrots and wash them.

• Chop the carrots into small pieces and feed them into a blender.

• When you obtain a puree, put it on a filter and press it.

• Collect the juice in a glass and add ice cubes and lemon drops to it.

• Serve it immediately.

Side effects of Carrot juice

Everything is dangerous when taken in excess. Carrot also causes many problems when you consume it in a large amount. Some of the side effects of carrot juice are:

Unsafe for infants

Many studies have shown that carrots are unsafe for infants. Small children should be given only a small portion of carrots to eat.

High in sugar content

Carrots are not a good choice for diabetes patients as they have high content of sugar with a glycaemic level of 97. After their consumption, the sugar that they contain gets converted into glucose which further increases the blood sugar levels. For diabetes patients, it is recommended that they should eat boiled carrots and that too in small quantity.

Not a good option for breastfeeding women

Carrots are rich in vital nutrients and minerals that are necessary for our body. However, many researches have shown that excess consumption of carrots changes the flavor of breast milk. So, it is advisable that breastfeeding women should avoid eating carrots in excess.

Skin discoloration

Carrots contain beta carotene- a yellow pigment and when carrots are consumed in large amounts in any form, they result in discoloration of the skin i.e the skin becomes yellowish in color. The discoloration can be noticed on the palms, soles of the feet, hands and face.

Withdrawal effect

People who eat carrots in large amounts everyday develop a habit of craving for carrots. Irritability, insomnia and nervousness are some of the negative effects of withdrawal from the habit.

We, at Healthocrat.in, hope that our article on 'Carrot juice: Top 10 health benefits, recipe and 5 side effects' has served its sole purpose by helping you in some way.

Thanks.