Drinking carrot juice is indeed a very healthy lifestyle choice. Known for its high beta carotene content, a glassful of carrot juice can take care of the daily requirement of many of the vitamins and minerals.
The importance of beta carotene in our body cannot be stressed enough. Beta carotene helps the body get vitamin A, B and E along with minerals and antioxidants. These important minerals and vitamins help give your skin a smoother texture and also helps to keep your hair strong. Apart from that, vitamins E and A are good for the liver, eyesight, teeth, and bones. A combination of the vitamins and minerals derived from carrot juice also help prevent cancer and are good for maintaining pre natal health.
The anti oxidants in carrot juice prevent the accumulation of free radicals by eliminating them completely from the body. Carrot juice can in fact prevent skin and breast cancer. It is the beta carotene that provides these cancer fighting properties to carrot juice.
Vitamin A, which is important to maintain the health of the rods and cones in the retina, helps to see in the dark and distinguish colors. A deficiency in vitamin A causes night blindness where a person cannot see when it’s dark.
Vitamin A has many other benefits. The vitamin also helps maintain strong teeth and bones. Vitamin A also cleans the accumulated bile in the liver and has a cleansing effect on the liver. Since the liver is a store for vitamin A, carrot juice should be taken everyday to ensure the good health of the liver. A deficiency in vitamin A causes the liver to be overrun with bile. Bile is highly acidic and is used to digest fats. The presence of excess bile can cause acidity and ulcers.
The beta carotene in carrots is also very good for pre natal health. It is the beta carotene that converts into vitamin A and this vitamin is vital for the good health and development of the embryo and subsequently the fetus. Research has shown that babies should be given carrot juice along with their milk or formula. Getting good amounts of vitamin A at the right time ensures good development of the bones.
To get the maximum benefits out of your carrot juice, make sure that the carrots you select are dark in color. The darker the color, the more beta carotene it contains.
Though carrot juice is a great drink, it is important that you take it with caution. Carrot juice has a high concentration of sugar. Therefore if you are diabetic or your blood sugar is on the higher side, it is better to chew raw carrots than drink carrot juice.