Carrots aren’t just good for Bugs Bunny to munch on! Or just for giving your smoothies an orange color! They are also an excellent vegetable, having both nutritional and medicinal values which are essential for our optimum health.

They contain a very complete nutrition to provide our body with essential enzymes, vitamins and minerals. A single carrot will supply all your vitamin A needs for the whole day. In fact, Chinese medical practitioners recommend eating carrots to give your liver more energy!

Carrot Juice is an excellent source of pro-vitamin A, vitamins C, D, E, K, B1 and B6.  Carrots are also rich in biotin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium. They also offer an excellent source of beta-carotene which is an anti-oxidant that has health benefits that has been reported to positively affect a variety of conditions and diseases, including:

•    Balancing blood acidity and blood sugar.
•    Detoxifying the liver and reducing toxicity in the body
•    Reducing the risk of heart diseases and stroke by cleansing deposits in the arteries
•    Providing protection from infection for the respiratory system
•    Reducing the risk of cancer
•    Lowering cholesterol levels
•    Easing nasal congestion
•    Regulating problems with chronic constipation
•    Keeping the optic system in good condition – we’ve all heard that carrots help you see in the dark!
•    Reducing inflammation and easing arthritis and rheumatism
•    Building the immune system
•    Nourishing the skin and helping to prevent psoriasis and acne
• Chinese practitioners have said that carrots taste sweet, and are good for the health of spleen and stomach.

The best thing about carrots is that they are easily assimilated by our body, especially when blended or juiced, to break down the cell walls.

So try adding carrots to your juices and smoothies, enjoy their colour and taste, and relish the fact that you are nourishing your body optimally at the same time!

Lisa Simpson of Raw Liberty