Why You Should Eat Baby Carrots 3 Times a Week

If your favorite snack includes baby carrots, congratulations: you’re doing great things for your health. New search presented at the Nutrition 2024 conference found that a children’s snack of carrots just three times a week increased skin carotenoids in young adults.

Carotenoids are the pigments found in fruits and vegetables which give them their bright red, orange, purple and yellow color. They’re important because they’re linked to better vision, which is often associated with carrots, as well as increased immune function, says Neda Akhavan, assistant professor and nutritionist at the University of Nevada. They also offer skin protection against UV damage.

It is not easy to increase carotenoids in the body. Normally, you would need to eat three times as much recommended servings of fruits and vegetables (so about 4.5-6 cups equivalent of fruit and 6-8 cups equivalents of vegetables) every day for three weeks to see these levels increase significantly. However, according to this study, eating carrots (about eight to 12, depending on size) just three times a week can do most of the heavy lifting.

And there’s also a way to get some extra carotenoids. The biggest increase seen in the study came from a combination of carrots and a multivitamin that contains beta-carotene, the red-orange pigment found in carrots. While taking the multivitamin alone didn’t increase skin carotenoid levels, combining it with carrot snacks did. More research is needed to understand why, the study authors said.

Bring the carrots!

Carotenoids aren’t the only reason to eat carrots, nutritionist Courtney Pelitera tells Yahoo Life, noting that there are about 2 grams of fiber (a macronutrient many Americans are missing, according to research) per medium-sized carrot. They’re also a “great low-calorie snack,” she says, with about 25 calories for the same size vegetable.

Carrots don’t need to be eaten pure and raw to reap the benefits. Dip them in a dip (we might suggest this top-notch one from Annie’s or classic ranch) or pair them with tzatziki, hummus or mashed avocado. Also, try to incorporate them into your meals. Some ideas are…

• A spicy carrot smoothie [Woman’s Day]

• Shredded carrots on veggie burger [PureWow]

• Roast rainbow carrots and top them with sage butter [Eating Well]

• Pickle carrots – it’s not as difficult as it sounds – and add them to sandwiches and salads [All Recipes]

Can you eat too many carrots?

You may have heard rumors that eating too many carrots can turn your skin orange – and there is some truth to that, nutritionist Shelley Balls tells Yahoo Life. It all has to do with those protective carotenoids: When you eat too many carrots, you can develop a disease called carotenemia, which can cause your skin to take on an orange or yellow hue. This happens because carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which can accumulate in the skin — and is particularly noticeable in areas like the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and under the nose, explains Balls.

“Carotenemia can occur from eating about 10 carrots a day for a few weeks,” says Balls. “If you eat a lot of foods rich in beta-carotene and notice that your skin color is changing, it would be beneficial to include a variety of other vegetables in your diet in place of these foods for a few months to reverse it. to your skin’s healthy pigment.

Although carotenemia is generally harmless, it can be confused with jaundice—and most people don’t want to look perpetually orange. However, this doesn’t mean you have to stop eating foods rich in beta-carotene, like carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. “Do this in moderation if you start to see a change in your skin pigmentation,” she says.

Obviously, you shouldn’t eat carrots if you’re allergic to carrots – but people allergic to birch, mugwort, ivy or celery also need to be careful when eating carrots. This is because these plants share similar proteins, which can trigger allergic reactions.

The same goes for people with diabetes: Although carrots are a healthy snack in general, they have more sugar than some other vegetables, which can affect blood sugar levels if consumed in large quantities.