RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Waiting to chop up your carrot until after it’s been cooked can preserve a significant amount of anticancer properties in the veggie, according to new research out of the United Kingdom. The findings were presented at a conference in France earlier this month.
THE DETAILS: Scientists at Newcastle University found that “boiled-before-cut” carrots boasted 25 percent more of the anticancer compound falcarinol than those that were chopped up before cooking. A blind taste test also found that people considered those carrots more appetizing than the ones cut before cooking. “Chopping up your carrots increases the surface area, so more of the nutrients leach out into the water while they are being cooked,” explains Kirsten Brandt, PhD, based in Newcastle University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and the Human Nutrition Research Centre. Brandt’s interest in carrots began four years ago, when she and colleagues found that rats fed carrot-rich diets were more than 30 percent less likely to develop full-scale tumors compared to those who weren’t. They cited falcarinol as the protective substance.
WHAT IT MEANS: The carrot is mighty. This veggie powerhouse contains antioxidant compounds that can protect against not only cancer, but cardiovascular disease, too. Carrots are the richest vegetable source of vitamin A, which can cut postmenopausal breast cancer risk by 20 percent, and decrease your chances of getting bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, or larynx cancer. Some researchers say a carrot a day can cut your lung cancer risk in half. Carrots are also beneficial to diabetics because they can help regulate blood sugar. Raw carrots contain many nutrients, so don’t think you have to boil them to benefit.
Here are tips on how to prepare, and even organically grow, your own carrots:
• Know what to look for in the store. Choose carrots with a firm, smooth surface, and ones that are relatively straight and bright in color. Check the top—the darker color, the older the carrot. Store carrots in the coolest part of your fridge for up to two weeks, wrapping them in a plastic bag or paper towel. Store away from apples, pears, and potatoes; the ethylene gas those foods release can turn carrots bitter.
• Better yet… Save money by growing your own carrots. Never use pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, though. A recent study found that many organic vegetables boast up to 30 percent more nutrients when grown without harmful chemicals. Visit Organicgardening.com for tips on how to start growing your own carrots and other vegetables.
• Plant them here. Carrots do well in areas where legumes (beans, peas) were grown previously because of the extra nitrogen those plants leave behind. When planting seeds, space them 2 to 4 inches apart in rows 12 to 20 inches apart, and thin them to 4 to 6 inches apart when the plants reach 3 inches tall. Carrots thrive in raised beds with fertile topsoil that contains plenty of organic matter. Be sure to remove rocks and debris so maturing carrots have room to grow, suggests Organic Gardening magazine.
• Prep and cook right. Once you have your carrots in hand, wash and scrub them gently, and peel them if they’re old or not organic. According to a recent study, carrots are one of the few vegetables that don’t lose nutrients if boiled. They also hold on to their nutrients if baked, grilled, or microwaved—though the current whole-vs-chopped study only tested boiling. Find many carrot-containing recipes at the Rodale Recipe Finder.