Andy Warhol predicted that in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes… is it finally the turn of the humble carrot?
Arguably the most recognisable of all root vegetables, for decades carrots have been resigned to the status of ‘side dish’ or even worse, just grated and dumped onto plates as an insipid garnish.
However, over the past few years, carrots have started to become the main event.
Both in professional kitchens and at home, they’re being roasted and served with tahini and crushed hazelnuts, drizzled in maple syrup and bejewelled with dainty sprigs of thyme, fried into savoury, moreish fritters, and cut into wafer thin ribbons to be used as the base of a salad, rather than just a reluctant add-on.
And there’s plenty of veggies for chefs of all backgrounds to experiment with. Around 700,000 tonnes of carrots are produced by British farmers every year (including a few kilos by hobbyist David Beckham), a crop which is estimated to be worth £290 million to the UK economy.
But it’s not just their crunch, flavour and price – a carrot can set you back as little as 6p – which should guarantee them a spot in your weekly shop – they’re packed full of essential minerals and vitamins.
‘Carrots often get a bad rap, but they’re a very nutrient dense, versatile and affordable vegetable,’ says Jenna Hope, nutritionist and author of How To Stay Healthy.
Read on to find out more about the benefits of eating carrots – and if they can really help you see in the dark…
Carrots are cheap, versatile and packed full of micronutrients
What’s so special about carrots?
Carrots are low in calories, with one medium carrot providing roughly 25–30 calories, – around 1 to 1.5 per cent of the NHS’s daily guideline (2,000 calories for women and 2,500 for men).
Furthermore, they are virtually fat-free, contributing barely measurable amounts towards the health service’s daily maximum suggestions of 20g for women and 30g for men.
So what’s actually in them? Surprisingly, a lot of fibre.
A carrot contains about 1.5 to 3g of fibre which is an impressive 10 per cent of the 30g daily target many people miss.
There’s also around 6g of carbohydrates per carrot, which comes mostly from the natural sugars they contain.
Nutrients-wise, they bring Vitamin K and potassium to your plate, and a wealth of antioxidants – with some coloured carrots packing more than others.
Ms Hope said: ‘Carrots are great for nourishing a healthy immune system due to their Vitamin A and Vitamin C content.’
Most notably, they are rich in beta-carotene – also known as Vitamin A – which is where their reputation for improving eyesight stems from.
Can carrots really help you see in the dark?
As a child you were probably told that eating carrots would give you night vision.
Sadly, this isn’t strictly true.
In fact, carrots’ positioning as an eyesight booster was merely wartime propaganda when the Royal Air Force needed a way to keep their new radar technologies a secret from the Germans.
There is some science to the claims. Beta-carotene is a type of carotenoid, a natural plant compound which are the sources of the red, orange and yellow colours of many fruits and vegetables.
Wartime propaganda positioned carrots as a super vegetable – note thic character’s medicine bag contains ‘Vitamin A’
Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that help protect against cancer and heart disease by latching on to rogue oxygen molecules that could potentially cause inflammation and long term harm.
The body can quickly convert the beta-carotene in carrots into Vitamin A which helps maintain good vision, especially in low light.
‘The beta-carotene content in carrots helps to improve light sensitivity in the eyes and supports better vision,’ says Ms Hope.
However, that isn’t Vitamin A’s only use. It is also vital for bone and reproductive development, a healthy immune system and the stimulation of collagen which is vital for supple joints and plump, healthy skin.
Are purple carrots healthier than orange carrots?
We’re most used to seeing orange carrots, but they actually come in a whole rainbow of shades, from deep purple to white.
And while they all have a similar taste, each colour boasts a specific variety of antioxidants.
While orange carrots are high in beta-carotene, purple carrots contain anthocyanins, which are the same compounds found in berries.
A 2018 study found that eating a handful of red or purplish berries every day reduces people’s risk of dying from heart disease by 40 per cent.
A diet high in anthocyanins was found to improve artery stiffness, lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation.
Yellow carrots provide lutein – which is also linked to eye health – and has been cited as a nutrient which can help protect people from developing dementia.
Nutritionally, one colour is not better than another but variety provides a broader mix of benefits.
Can carrots help lower cholesterol?
Carrots contain soluble fibre which takes on a somewhat gelatinous form once it reaches the digestive tract, helping regulate both bowel movements and blood sugar.
It also lowers the amount of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in the blood. High levels of LDL can lead to plaque building up in arteries – a condition known as atherosclerosis – which significantly increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Carrots come in a variety of colours – and they contain a variety of antioxidants
‘Carrots are a good source of fibre which can support cholesterol and heart health, although they’re not a miracle cure for high cholesterol or poor heart health,’ says Ms Hope.
Are carrots good for dieters?
‘Carrots have one of the lowest glycemic indexes when it comes to root vegetables—which means the natural sugars are absorbed more slowly,’ dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton previously told the Daily Mail.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels, ranked on a scale of 1-100.
Foods with a low GI intake including vegetables, wholegrains, legumes and some fruits taking longer to digest, resulting in a more controlled sugar release and fewer spikes.
However, this only counts for carrots in their whole form – juicing them removes all the natural fibre and will overload the body with natural sugars which can be absorbed rapidly.
Juicing can also lead to higher consumption. For instance, a glass of juice might contain up to five carrots, so the sugar hit becomes more significant.
Food pairing is also really important when it comes to keeping blood sugar levels under control.
This means a healthy portion of carrots eaten with your evening meal could reduce the likelihood of you craving a sweet treat or dessert later on.
Can carrots protect against cancer?
According to a 2024 study, eating carrots just three times a week significantly increases carotenoids in the skin, which have been linked with a lower risk of chronic disease such as heart disease and cancer.
People with higher levels of these carotenoids also enjoy better skin and stronger immune function by simply eating more phytonutrients which are naturally found in the cheap root vegetable.
Dr Kristen Brant, senior lecturer in food and human nutrition at Newcastle University, has been studying the role of polyacetylenes – a compound found in parsnips and carrots – and cancer.
‘Different studies with different participants and different types of cancer have found similar risk reductions of developing cancer—of approximately 17 per cent—in participants who are four carrots per week,’ she told the BBC.
What’s the best way to eat carrots for maximum nutritional benefits?
If you were hoping the answer is ‘carrot cake’, then you’ll be disappointed.
Carrots can be a key player in supporting gut health because of their fibre content, providing plenty of fresh fodder for our microbiome – the army of invisible, friendly bacteria that aids digestion – to feed on.
‘Carrots contain small amounts of an insoluble fibre called pectin which can support the production of short-chain fatty acids in the gut,’ says Ms Hope.
‘However, for those with gastrointestinal concerns, raw carrots can sometimes be challenging to digest.’
When it comes to how best to eat and enjoy carrots, both raw and cooked bring their own benefits.
Raw carrots retain more Vitamin C, which will support immune function, while cooking them actually increases the availability of beta-carotene.
And there are other ways to make it easier for the body to absorb their cancer-fighting nutrients.
Pairing carrots with healthy fats – like olive oil, nuts or seeds – will improve absorption of fat-soluble beta-carotene.
Eating carrots with protein helps keep hunger at bay and also controls blood sugar control, making a post-meal sugar crash less likely.
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‘Consuming carrots and hummus is a great snack for supporting satiety,’ Ms Hope says.
Should anyone not eat carrots?
People taking blood thinners such as warfarin should be wary of eating a glut of carrots because they contain Vitamin K, which can affect how the medication works.
Carrots aren’t as rich in Vitamin K compared to leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale, but suddenly going from eating no carrots at all to daily binges could have implications.
Can eating too many carrots turn your skin orange?
This can absolutely happen, but you’d need to eat a hell of a lot of carrots.
Carotenemia occurs when excess beta-carotene builds up in the blood, giving the skin a yellow-orangey tint. It’s quite harmless and reversible once you stop eating beta-carotene-rich foods.
It tends to be more common in people who are putting away large amounts of carrot juice or purees, rather than those who enjoy a modest intake.
