Carrots For Healthy Skin
by Marilyn Pokorney
Carrots are one of the best vegetables for healthy skin
care. The skin is the largest organ of the body so it's the
first defense against the environment and one of the organs
that expel toxins from the body.
Their secret is beta-carotene which gives carrots their
orange color, Vitamin C, and antioxidants.
Beta carotene, also known as Vitamin A, has 680 percent of
the U.S. recommended daily allowance. The highest value of
any vegetable.
A mere 2 carrots a day is more than enough for most people's
Vitamin A needs.
Vitamin A deficiencies can include premature wrinkling,
acne, and dry leathery skin. The same properties that
overexposure to the sun can give.
Because carrots are rich in antioxidants which nourish and
moisturize the skin, carrots can help protect the skin from
sun damage to overexposure.
Free radicals damage cell membranes and cause premature
aging and cancer. Antioxidants, which are abundant in
carrots, protect cells from free radicals.
Vitamin C fights free radicals and helps formation of skin
collagen which is what makes skin look young and healthy.
Carrot juice can be used internally or applied directly to
the skin as a lotion.
Carrot oil has been found to produce a healthy tan and to
protect the skin against ultra violet rays better than
synthetic sunscreens used alone.
While cooking usually reduces the amount of nutrients in
vegetables, scientists at the University of Arkansas have
found that cooked carrots contain higher values of nutrients
than raw carrots.
The liver produces Vitamin A from the beta-carotene in the
carrot. For over 150 years carrot juice has been used as a
liver tonic which helps the liver to eliminate toxins from
the body which leads to a more clear complexion.
Cooking carrots whole increases by 25 percent a compound
called falcarinol. Scientists at the University of
Southern Denmark have discovered that people who include
falcarinol in their diets have a 30 percent less chance of
developing cancer than those who do not.
Carrots are a natural sunscreen as well. Carrots provide a
sunscreen factor of 2 to 4 in people who eat carrots
regularly.
For more information on carrots and healthy skin visit:
http://www.apluswriting.net/health/carrotoilcare.htm
Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Email: Current address on website