Carrots

Carrots are a veritable 'gold-mine' of nutrients, containing Vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E, as well as Carotene (Beta and Alpha), Phytochemicals and Glutathione, Calcium and Potassium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorous and Sulpher – all of that and not a vitamin supplement in sight! Beta-carotene is what gives carrots their orange colour and they contain more of this than any other fruit or vegetable. Our bodies store the beta-carotene and change it into Vitamin A as needed.

Vitamin A is important for healthy skin, lungs and intestines and helps protect against infections. Deficiency in Vitamin A can lead to poor eye sight and soldiers during the war were given carrots and carrot juice to help improve their night vision, hence the old saying 'carrots help you see in the dark'. The calcium pectate carrots contain is a fibre that adds crispness to crunchy vegetables and has been found to have cholesterol lowering properties. Carrots have received a lot of worthy press recently with scientists from Newcastle University urging us to cook carrots whole if we don't want to lose some of their anti-cancer properties.