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Carrot: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions

Carrot

Other Name(s):

Carota, Carotte, Cenoura, Danggeun, Daucus carota subsp. sativus, Gajar, Gelbe Rube, Hongdangmu, Hu Luo Bo, Karotte, Mohre, Mohrrube, Ninjin, Zanahoria.

Overview

Carrot is a plant. The leaves and the part that grows underground (carrot root) are used for food. The part that grows underground is also used for medicine.

Carrot root is taken by mouth for cancer, constipation, diabetes, diarrhea, fibromyalgia, vitamin A deficiency, vitamin C deficiency, and zinc deficiency.

In foods, carrot roots can be eaten raw, boiled, fried, or steamed. Carrot root can be eaten alone or added to cakes, puddings, jams, or preserves. Carrot root can also be prepared as a juice. Carrot leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.

How does work?

Carrot contains a chemical called beta-carotene. Beta-carotene might act as an antioxidant. Carrot also contains dietary fiber, which might improve stomach and intestine conditions such as diarrhea or constipation.

Uses

Possibly Effective for...

  • Vitamin A deficiency. Some early research shows that eating carrot jam for 10 weeks improves growth rate in children with vitamin A deficiency. Other early research shows that eating grated carrot for 60 days improves vitamin A levels in some pregnant women who are at risk for not having enough vitamin A.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

  • Diarrhea. Early research shows that giving a rehydration solution containing carrot and rice to infants and children with diarrhea helps shorten the length of time diarrhea is experienced.
  • Fibromyalgia. Early research shows that eating a vegetarian diet that includes drinking 2-4 servings of carrot juice for 7 months improves symptoms of fibromyalgia in some people.
  • Cancer.
  • Constipation.
  • Diabetes.
  • Vitamin C deficiency.
  • Zinc deficiency.
  • Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of carrot for these uses.

QUESTION

Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See Answer

Side Effects

Carrot is LIKELY SAFE when eaten as a food. It is not clear if carrot is safe when used as a medicine.

Carrot might cause skin yellowing if eaten in large amounts. It might cause tooth decay if consumed in large quantities as a juice.

Precautions

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's LIKELY SAFE to eat carrot as a food if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. However, not enough is known about the use of carrot as medicine during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

Children: It's LIKELY SAFE to eat carrot in normal food amounts. It is POSSIBLY UNSAFE to give large amounts of carrot juice to infants and young children. Large amounts of carrot juice might cause the skin to yellow and the teeth to decay.

Allergy to celery and related plants: Carrot may cause an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to birch, mugwort, spices, celery, and related plants. This has been called the “celery-carrot-mugwort-spice syndrome.”

Diabetes: Carrot might lower blood sugar levels. This could interfere with medications used for diabetes and cause blood sugar levels to go to low. If you have diabetes and use a large amount of carrots, monitor your blood sugar closely.

Interactions


Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.Talk with your health provider.

Carrot might decrease blood sugar levels. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking carrot along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.

Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

Dosing

The following doses have been studied in scientific research in adults:

BY MOUTH:

  • For vitamin A deficiency: eating 100 grams of grated carrots daily for 60 days has been used.
The following doses have been studied in scientific research in children:

BY MOUTH:

  • For vitamin A deficiency: eating one spoonful of carrot jam daily for 10 weeks has been used.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

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References

Baranska M, Baranski R, Schulz H, Nothnagel T. Tissue-specific accumulation of carotenoids in carrot roots. Planta 2006 Oct;224(5):1028-37. View abstract.

Bauer L, Ebner C, Hirschwehr R, et al. IgE cross-reactivity between birch pollen, mugwort pollen, and celery is due to three distinct cross-reacting allergens: immunoblot investigation of the birch-mugwort-celery syndrome. Clin Exp Allergy 1996;26:1161-70. View abstract.

Briviba, K., Schnabele, K., Rechkemmer, G., and Bub, A. Supplementation of a diet low in carotenoids with tomato or carrot juice does not affect lipid peroxidation in plasma and feces of healthy men. J Nutr 2004;134(5):1081-1083. View abstract.

Bub, A., Barth, S. W., Watzl, B., Briviba, K., and Rechkemmer, G. Paraoxonase 1 Q192R (PON1-192) polymorphism is associated with reduced lipid peroxidation in healthy young men on a low-carotenoid diet supplemented with tomato juice. Br J Nutr 2005;93(3):291-297. View abstract.

Caballero T, Martin-Esteban M. Association between pollen hypersensitivity and edible vegetable allergy: a review. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 1998;8:6-16. View abstract.

Cummings, J. H., Branch, W., Jenkins, D. J., Southgate, D. A., Houston, H., and James, W. P. Colonic response to dietary fibre from carrot, cabbage, apple, bran. Lancet 1978;1(8054):5-9. View abstract.

Ebner C, Hirschwehr R, Bauer L, et al. Identification of allergens in apple, pear, celery, carrot and potato: cross-reactivity with pollen allergens. Monogr Allergy 1996;32:73-7. View abstract.

el-Arab AE, Khalil F, Hussein L. Vitamin A deficiency among preschool children in a rural area of Egypt: the results of dietary assessment and biochemical assay. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2002;53(6):465-74. View abstract.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182

Guedon C, Ducrotte P, Antoine JM, et al. Does chronic supplementation of the diet with dietary fibre extracted from pea or carrot affect colonic motility in man? Br J Nutr 1996;76(1):51-61. View abstract.

Gustafsson K, Asp NG, Hagander B, Nyman M. Dose-response effects of boiled carrots and effects of carrots in lactic acid in mixed meals on glycaemic response and satiety. Eur J Clin Nutr 1994;48(6):386-96. View abstract.

Hamey PY, Harris CA. The variation of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables and the associated assessment of risk. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 1999;30(2 Pt 2):S34-41. View abstract.

Helbling A. [Food allergy]. Ther Umsch 1994;51(1):31-7. View abstract.

Hickenbottom SJ, Follett JR, Lin Y, et al. Variability in conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A in men as measured by using a double-tracer study design. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75:900-7. View abstract.

Horvitz MA, Simon PW, Tanumihardjo SA. Lycopene and beta-carotene are bioavailable from lycopene 'red' carrots in humans. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004;58(5):803-11. View abstract.

Kaplan R. Carrot addiction. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 1996;30(5):698-700. View abstract.

Kaur TJ, Kochar GK. Development and sensory evaluation of beta carotene rich food preparations using underexploited carrot greens. J Hum Ecol 2009;28(3):207-212.

Kirkman, L. M., Lampe, J. W., Campbell, D. R., Martini, M. C., and Slavin, J. L. Urinary lignan and isoflavonoid excretion in men and women consuming vegetable and soy diets. Nutr Cancer 1995;24(1):1-12. View abstract.

Kurilich AC, Clevidence BA, Britz SJ, et al. Plasma and urine responses are lower for acylated vs nonacylated anthocyanins from raw and cooked purple carrots. J Agric Food Chem 2005;53(16):6537-42. View abstract.

Ncube, T. N., Greiner, T., Malaba, L. C., and Gebre-Medhin, M. Supplementing lactating women with puréed papaya and grated carrots improved vitamin A status in a placebo-controlled trial. J Nutr 2001;131(5):1497-1502. View abstract.

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Pietschnig B, Javaid N, Haschke F, et al. [Acute diarrheal diseases. Treatment with carrot-rice viscous solution is more effective than ORS solution]. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd 1992;140(7):426-30. View abstract.

Pool-Zobel, B. L., Bub, A., Muller, H., Wollowski, I., and Rechkemmer, G. Consumption of vegetables reduces genetic damage in humans: first results of a human intervention trial with carotenoid-rich foods. Carcinogenesis 1997;18(9):1847-1850. View abstract.

Thurmann, P. A., Steffen, J., Zwernemann, C., Aebischer, C. P., Cohn, W., Wendt, G., and Schalch, W. Plasma concentration response to drinks containing beta-carotene as carrot juice or formulated as a water dispersible powder. Eur J Nutr 2002;41(5):228-235. View abstract.

Tyssandier, V., Reboul, E., Dumas, J. F., Bouteloup-Demange, C., Armand, M., Marcand, J., Sallas, M., and Borel, P. Processing of vegetable-borne carotenoids in the human stomach and duodenum. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2003;284(6):G913-G923. View abstract.

Vieths S, Scheurer S, Ballmer-Weber B. Current understanding of cross-reactivity of food allergens and pollen. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2002;964:47-68. View abstract.

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Young, J. F., Dragsted, L. O., Daneshvar, B., Lauridsen, S. T., Hansen, M., and Sandstrom, B. The effect of grape-skin extract on oxidative status. Br J Nutr 2000;84(4):505-513. View abstract.