Carrots; Steamed vs Raw

Sometime ago, I wrote about the health benefit of carrots, if you missed it, click HERE. However for sometime, I had rather steam a mixture of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and I end up snacking on them most times when I feel a bit peckish. Having conversations with some friends over the weekend, an argument arose over the nutrition content of raw vegetables over heated veggies. I love my veggies but I am no fan of having them raw. I however dont mind having carrots raw in coleslaw and even stand alone but I prefer the succulence of having them steamed. So I decided to do a research on the benefits of having carrots steamed and look what I discovered..

  

Carrots are packed with antioxidants, particularly beta-carotene. The antioxidants in carrots play major roles heart and eye health and may aid in cancer prevention. Steaming is a healthy way to prepare carrots and makes nutrients such as beta-carotene easier for your body to absorb than eating raw carrots.

Cook Whole

This was really an eye opener for me as I am in the habit of dicing them before cooking. However researchers say Cooking carrots whole before chopping them up boosts their anti-cancer properties by 25 per cent.Leaving the vegetable intact prevents valuable nutrients from being easily washed away into the water, claim scientists.

As an added bonus, boiling unchopped carrots also makes them taste better, they said.

They can then be chopped up once cooked without loss of nutrients.

Cancer Prevention

Steamed carrots could aid in preventing cancers of the colon, esophagus and stomach. Beta-carotene and another antioxidant in carrots -- called falcarinol -- may slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. A study published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" found that rats that were fed a diet that incorporated carrots were one-third less likely to develop tumors than rats that did not eat carrots.

Vision

Steamed carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which is essential for eye health. Vitamin A deficiency is rare in the United States but can result in night blindness, dry eyes and complete blindness. The nutrients in carrots may also reduce the development of glaucoma and cataracts.

Heart Health

Carrots are a heart-healthy food because they contain fiber, antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals. High-fiber diets are helpful in lowering high cholesterol and are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Steamed carrots are also a good source of potassium, which aids in lowering high blood pressure.

I once visited a friend who had just put to bed and the baby looked so amazing, not the regular new born baby look, but this was actually a beautiful child. And when I kept commenting on the babys look, she goes "elly, its having carrots everyday". Looking for that beautiful skin? Dont forget your carrots everyday.

http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/benefits-steamed-carrots-16715.html