1. 1 β- carotenoid

Carotenoids are the most important nutrients in carrots, including β-carotene, α-carotene, lutein and many other carotenoids, among which β-carotene is the highest and most famous, accounting for 80% of carotene, and 9800μgβ- carotene per 100g (cooked) carrot [2]; Every 100g (raw) carrot contains 4 130μgβ- carotene, which is 30 ~ 40 times higher than vegetables such as white radish, ranking first among common fruits and vegetables. It is an important natural functional component and an important and safe source of vitamin A, and its physiological and nutritional functions are increasingly concerned by researchers at home and abroad. In the United States, natural carotene was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia as 1985 and recommended by the Joint Expert Committee of Food Additives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Natural β -carotene is recognized as an excellent nutritional pigment [1] and has been approved for application in 52 countries and regions around the world.

1.2 Other nutrients

Carrots are rich in sugar, protein, fat, cellulose, vitamins, inorganic salts, trace elements, 10 enzymes, bifidus factors, nucleic acids, mustard oil, umbelliferone, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, etc. The cell wall of carrots is rich in pectin.

Modern nutritional analysis shows that the edible part of carrot contains 37 kcal, protein100g, fat 0.2g, carbohydrate 8.8g, cellulose 1. 1 g, calcium 32.0mg, phosphorus 27.0mg, sodium 71.4mg, and magnesium 6,550. Zinc 0.23 mg, selenium 0.63 mg, copper 0.08 mg, manganese 0.24 mg, potassium 190.0 mg, nicotinic acid 0.6 mg, vitamin c 65438 0.03 mg+riboflavin 0.03 mg, thiamine 0.04 mg, vitamin E0.36mg, folic acid/kloc-0.4 mg. Carrots are rich in nutrition and rank among the best in all kinds of vegetables.

2 The health function of carrots

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that carrots are sweet and flat in nature, belonging to the lung and spleen meridians, and have the effects of strengthening the spleen, promoting digestion, promoting digestion, nourishing the liver, improving eyesight, relieving cough, clearing away heat and toxic materials, moistening the intestines, relaxing bowels and stimulating appetite. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that "carrots can tonify the middle energizer, benefit the chest, diaphragm, stomach and intestines, strengthen the five internal organs, and are healthy and beneficial". Physicians usurped the throne and said that it can "moisten kidney and strengthen yang, warm the body and dispel cold and dampness". The folk proverb says: eating radish in winter and ginger in summer does not require a doctor to prescribe medicine; Radish is on the street, so the pharmacy doesn't have to open. Carrot is an excellent natural health food with many health functions.

2. 1 anti-oxidation, anti-aging

Carrots are rich in carotenoids, which are also called antioxidant nutrients [2], among which β -carotene has a strong antioxidant effect:

First, it is more active in eliminating singlet oxygen in the body and is considered as a quencher of singlet oxygen in the body [4];

Second, it is an important substance to deal with oxygen free radicals and photosensitive effects caused by radiation;

The third is to supplement and strengthen the functions of vitamin C and vitamin E;

Fourthly, in the process of lipid peroxidation, it is an effective antioxidant and interrupts the chain effect. It can destroy the activity of free radicals in vivo, remove redundant free radicals in vivo, reduce the damage of lipid peroxide [4], inhibit the production of lipid peroxide and lipofuscin in vivo, delay aging and prevent various degenerative diseases caused by aging.

2.2 Promote growth and development, protect eyesight and maintain skin health.

As a precursor of vitamin A, β -carotene has important physiological functions, which can promote protein's biosynthesis and differentiation of bone cells, thus promoting the growth and development of children and bones. It is an indispensable nutrient to maintain the normal growth and development of bones, teeth and babies.

β -carotene is also involved in the synthesis and regeneration of rhodopsin, which plays a very important role in maintaining normal visual system, protecting vision and preventing night blindness. It can promote the normal formation of epithelial cells, maintain the normal structure of mucosal cells, maintain the health of skin, and prevent and treat keratosis folliculi, dry eye, respiratory tract mucosal infection and urinary tract diseases.

2.3 Anti-cancer, reducing the side effects of chemotherapy.

Experts at home and abroad have confirmed that carrots do have anti-cancer and anticancer functions. First, carrots contain a lot of β -carotene and vitamin C, which are necessary substances to keep the structure of intercellular matrix intact [5] and play a role in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. Secondly, carrots contain a glucoamylase, which can decompose nitrosamines in food and greatly reduce the carcinogenicity of the substance; There are more lignin in three kinds of carrots, which can improve the swallowing ability of giant cells [6] and improve the survival ability of giant cells to swallow cancer cells in vivo by 2 ~ 3 times.

Years of research on the treatment of cancer with β -carotene also proved that β -carotene can reduce the incidence of lung cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, brain cancer and other cancers 1/2 ~ 2/3, especially in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer. Because β -carotene can rapidly degrade the high nicotine in the blood caused by smoking, it can slow down the deterioration of lung function and make the lungs "younger".

A large number of research data at home and abroad confirm that β -carotene can also reduce the side effects of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Radiotherapy can induce the generation of oxygen free radicals, but the integrity of cell microsomal membrane prevents the generation of oxygen free radicals, and β -carotene can maintain the integrity of microsomal membrane; Chemotherapy drugs can kill cancer cells and mutate normal cells, while β -carotene has antimutagenic effect, thus reducing its toxic and side effects.

2.4 Improve immunity and protect intestinal microecology.

Carotenoids in carrots, like vitamin A, can regulate the immune response of rats, mice and lymphocytes in culture medium. In experimental animals and humans, β -carotene can improve immune response [2] and enhance immunity in vivo.

Shijiazhuang Institute of Agricultural Modernization of China Academy of Sciences adopted new technology to extract carrot stock solution, and based on carrot stock solution, a "carrot intestinal microecological regulator" beverage was developed through scientific formula. Experts have identified that the beverage can significantly promote the proliferation of intestinal Bifidobacterium and protect the biological barrier of intestinal tract.

2.5 Reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, and prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases.

Carotenoids contained in carrots can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. In the report of Doctors' Health Research, it is reported that the risk of major coronary heart disease decreased by 565,438 0% after 5 years of carotene supplementation in patients with stable angina pectoris and patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. The mechanism of carotenoids protecting cardiovascular system is to reduce the oxidation of LDL [2].

The components of carrot cell wall are extremely rich in calcium pectate. Calcium pectate can promote the coagulation of bile acid and accelerate the transformation of cholesterol into bile acid in human body, thus playing a role in lowering cholesterol and preventing coronary heart disease. The higher the cholesterol content in the body, the more obvious the cholesterol-lowering effect of calcium pectate in carrots. When the cholesterol content in the body remains normal, the cholesterol-lowering effect of calcium pectin is weakened.

According to a study by Johns Hopkins University, compared with people with the lowest level of beta-carotene, people with high levels of beta-carotene have almost half the number of heart attacks. In addition, recent studies have also found that people who consume15mg carotene in their daily diet have a lower incidence of heart disease by 40%, myocardial infarction by 22% and stroke by 40% than those who consume less than 6mg carotene. Drinking 25ml fresh carrot juice every day can maintain the normal level of vitamin A in the body and prevent and treat myocardial infarction, stroke and other diseases.

2.6 regulating blood sugar

Carrots are rich in dietary fiber, which can delay the absorption of intestinal glucose, reduce the increase of blood sugar, regulate blood sugar level, improve glucose tolerance and increase insulin sensitivity, thus reducing the demand for insulin through the hypoglycemic effect of insulin mutual assistance. Modern pharmacological studies have proved that carrots also contain a component that can lower blood sugar, that is, an amorphous yellow substance (mainly β-carotene) can be obtained by extracting carrots with petroleum ether, which has obvious hypoglycemic effect on people and animals [7].

Ford, an epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and his colleagues surveyed 1665 volunteers aged 40-74. The researchers measured the blood sugar content of the subjects to determine whether they had diabetes, and compared the beta-carotene content in each person's blood. The results showed that the content of β -carotene in blood of healthy people was the highest, while that of diabetic people was the lowest. It is suggested to eat more carrots, kale and other vegetables rich in carotene in daily diet, which is of great help to prevent diabetes.

2.7 Prevention of Allergy

Japanese experts have recently discovered that beta-carotene in carrots can effectively prevent allergic reactions such as pollen allergy and allergic dermatitis. In the animal experiment, experts from Japan National Institute of Medicine and Food Hygiene fed a group of experimental mice with ordinary feed, and another group of experimental mice with β -carotene of 2 mg per100 g. They stimulated the experimental mice with drugs to produce allergic reactions, and then analyzed their symptoms and the concentration of histamine in their blood. The results showed that the histamine content of experimental mice fed with appropriate amount of β -carotene was less. Experts also took cells from the spleens of these experimental mice and analyzed them. It is found that β -carotene can regulate intracellular balance and make experimental mice less allergic.

2.8 increase appetite and promote digestion

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, radish has the functions of promoting qi circulation, promoting digestion, invigorating spleen and regulating stomach, nourishing yin and moistening dryness, resolving phlegm and removing stagnation, and clearing away heat and toxic materials.

Modern pharmacological experiments have also confirmed that the cellulose contained in carrots can obviously stimulate the secretion of body fluids, enhance gastrointestinal peristalsis and promote digestion. Folks often use carrot dietotherapy to treat various dyspeptic diseases, such as carrot tea soup to treat simple dyspepsia in infants; Carrot rice porridge is mainly used to treat the elderly with spleen and stomach weakness or anorexia and indigestion. In the book Clinical Dietotherapy Formula, there are also many carrot dietotherapy formulas used to treat abdominal distension, eating less and not being hungry.

2.9 Others

Carrot is a kind of vegetable food with root skin. Root bark grows in soil, and its roots and shells contain a lot of minerals and nutrients. According to foreign reports, eating carrots often can strengthen the body against the cold.

In addition, lignin in carrots can be combined with metals to resist the harmful effects of chemical drugs and food additives [8]; Pectin can combine with mercury ions entering the body, promote the discharge of mercury ions in the human body, and eliminate or reduce the toxicity of mercury to people [5]. The beneficial components such as mustard oil and crude fiber in carrots can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and defecation, and can be used to treat constipation. The fruit acids contained in carrots can lubricate skin, increase skin elasticity and improve skin quality, and are often used as the base material of skin care cosmetics. In the international market, carrot extract β -carotene is regarded as the natural pigment product of the first kind of food and cosmetics [7].

In a word, carrot is a well-deserved green and healthy food with nutrition, health care and medicine. As a kind of cheap and nutritious food, it blooms with magnificent colors like a unique show, making it a household name, entering thousands of households and becoming a delicacy in people's daily diet.

In order to improve the nutritional value of carrots and promote the absorption and utilization of fat-soluble carotenoids, carrots should be stewed, boiled or fried with meat. Stews are the best, fried products are the best, followed by raw food and cold salad. Fresh carrot juice can be drunk alone immediately and is more easily absorbed.