2019-08-01 Eat Well

T

he first carrots were not the proud

orange conical beauties we mostly

see today. Dating back to 10th-century

Persia, around the Himalayas in what

is now Afghanistan, the humble carrot began

its journey. Back then, carrots grew longer and

thinner, and were purple or white in colour. Along

the way, a happy mutation resulted in yellow and

red varieties, which became popular as they were

sweeter and meant that cooking with them didn’t

end in a purple hue.

The story goes that in the 17th century, patriotic

Dutch carrot growers crossed a red and a yellow

variety in an attempt to create the perfect orange

carrot as a tribute to William of Orange, who

led the Dutch to independence. On a side note,

I personally cannot think of any greater honour

than to have a vegetable dedicated to you.

The new orange variety was sweeter and

bigger, and before you could say “dipsticks”, the

commercial success of the orange-coloured

carrot was born. Since then, carrots really

haven’t looked back, reaching dinner plates

across the world due to their affordability,

accessibility and deliciousness.

Nutritional dynamite

So special is the carrot that one of its primary

nutrients bears its name. Carotenoids are the

group of fat-soluble antioxidants that protect

your cells from damage, improve the immune

system and can even help protect your skin

from sunburn.

Beta-carotene is one of these carotenoids

and is responsible for giving carrots their

orange pigment. Once beta-carotene gets

into your body, it is transformed in the liver

into retinoic acid, the active form of vitamin

A, and regulated by the body, depending on your

vitamin A levels. From here, it can perform its

magic as a strong antioxidant and as support

for the immune system.

Another carotenoid found in carrots is

lutein, which is thought to be involved in

protecting your eyes — your macula to be

precise — thus reducing the risk of age-

related macular degeneration.

The age-old tale that carrots give you

superhuman night vision is unfortunately not

altogether true. Propaganda from the UK Ministry

of Food during World War II stated that eating

carrots was the key to the success of the British

Air Force. In reality, the story made a good cover

for newly adopted radar technology that the

British Air Force was relying on during night-time

activity and, although they didn’t set out to fool

the Germans, they were more than happy to go

along with the story. However, carrots do contain

nutrients that contribute to good eye health,

which is still great, if not quite as exciting.

Overdosing won’t give you better eye health,

though, as the body will self-regulate to ensure

it doesn't convert too much beta-carotene into

vitamin A. On that topic, you can get too much of

a good thing — overdoing the carrots can cause

hypercarotenaemia, a condition where the skin

appears an orangey-yellow colour due to excess

beta-carotene in the blood. This is not necessarily

just from carrots and can include enthusiastic

enjoyment of sweet potato and pumpkin, too. The

condition is harmless and reversed by returning

your intake to a more balanced level.

Along with their glut of carotenoids, carrots

enjoy a lovely amount of fibre, biotin, vitamin K

and vitamin C, which are mostly helped in their

absorption by a source of fat. So it’s no accident

that you love carrot with hummus as the fats

from the tahini, or perhaps olive oil, depending

on your recipe, help the absorption of the

precious carotenoids.

Importantly, don’t forget the carrot tops! Full

of potassium, vitamin C and other phytonutrients,

they make an excellent pesto combined with your

favourite herb and enjoyed in moderation. You can

even grow carrot tops from the nubby end of your

carrot, by sitting it on a plate with a small amount

of water and placing it in a sunny position.

Delicious raw, sautéed, mashed or roasted,

carrots are a mainstay of our vegie crispers for

good reason. I dare you to find another vegetable

that has as satisfying a crunch and is as versatile

and long-lasting. You will most likely find different

heirloom varieties and colours available if you

look out for them, so be sure to try out some new

versions of this old favourite.

Meg is a practising naturopath, cook, mother,

writer, health advocate and passionate wholefood

enthusiast based in Melbourne.

Rediscovering your roots

Carrots hold a special place in our hearts. They are delicious raw or cooked,

kids generally like them, they are great for your body and, perhaps most

importantly, they are an excellent vehicle for hummus.

Delicious raw, sautéed,

mashed or roasted, carrots

are a mainstay of our vegie

crispers for good reason.

Photography: Getty

16 | EatWell

THE WHOLE FOOD

meg thompson

EWL026_016 Column Whole Food Meg-PR.indd 16EWL026_016 Column Whole Food Meg-PR.indd 16 7/30/2019 5:24:12 PM7/30/2019 5:24:12 PM

T

hefirstcarrotswerenottheproud

orangeconicalbeautieswemostly

seetoday.Datingbackto10th-century

Persia,aroundtheHimalayasin what

is nowAfghanistan,thehumblecarrotbegan

itsjourney.Backthen,carrotsgrewlongerand

thinner,andwerepurpleorwhitein colour.Along

theway,a happymutationresultedin yellowand

redvarieties,whichbecamepopularastheywere

sweeterandmeantthatcookingwiththemdidn’t

endin a purplehue.

Thestorygoesthatin the17thcentury,patriotic

Dutchcarrotgrowerscrosseda redanda yellow

varietyin anattempttocreatetheperfectorange

carrotasa tributetoWilliamofOrange,who

ledtheDutchtoindependence.Ona sidenote,

I personallycannotthinkofanygreaterhonour

thantohavea vegetablededicatedtoyou.

Theneworangevarietywassweeterand

bigger,andbeforeyoucouldsay“dipsticks”,the

commercialsuccessoftheorange-coloured

carrotwasborn.Sincethen,carrotsreally

haven’tlookedback,reachingdinnerplates

acrosstheworldduetotheiraffordability,

accessibilityanddeliciousness.

Nutritionaldynamite

Sospecialis thecarrotthatoneofitsprimary

nutrientsbearsitsname.Carotenoidsarethe

groupoffat-solubleantioxidantsthatprotect

yourcellsfromdamage,improvetheimmune

systemandcanevenhelpprotectyourskin

fromsunburn.

Beta-caroteneis oneofthesecarotenoids

andis responsibleforgivingcarrotstheir

orangepigment.Oncebeta-carotenegets

intoyourbody,it is transformedintheliver

intoretinoicacid,theactiveformofvitamin

A,andregulatedbythebody,dependingonyour

vitaminA levels.Fromhere,it canperformits

magicasa strongantioxidantandassupport

fortheimmunesystem.

Anothercarotenoidfoundincarrotsis

lutein,whichis thoughttobeinvolvedin

protectingyoureyes—yourmaculatobe

precise—thusreducingtheriskofage-

relatedmaculardegeneration.

Theage-oldtalethatcarrotsgiveyou

superhumannightvisionis unfortunatelynot

altogethertrue.PropagandafromtheUKMinistry

ofFoodduringWorldWarII statedthateating

carrotswasthekeytothesuccessoftheBritish

AirForce.Inreality,thestorymadea goodcover

fornewlyadoptedradartechnologythatthe

BritishAirForcewasrelyingonduringnight-time

activityand,althoughtheydidn’tsetouttofool

theGermans,theyweremorethanhappytogo

alongwiththestory.However,carrotsdocontain

nutrientsthatcontributetogoodeyehealth,

whichis stillgreat,if notquiteasexciting.

Overdosingwon’tgiveyoubettereyehealth,

though,asthebodywillself-regulatetoensure

it doesn'tconverttoomuchbeta-caroteneinto

vitaminA.Onthattopic,youcangettoomuchof

a goodthing—overdoingthecarrotscancause

hypercarotenaemia,a conditionwheretheskin

appearsanorangey-yellowcolourduetoexcess

beta-carotenein theblood.Thisis notnecessarily

justfromcarrotsandcanincludeenthusiastic

enjoymentofsweetpotatoandpumpkin,too.The

conditionis harmlessandreversedbyreturning

yourintaketoa morebalancedlevel.

Alongwiththeirglutofcarotenoids,carrots

enjoya lovelyamountoffibre,biotin,vitaminK

andvitaminC,whicharemostlyhelpedin their

absorptionbya sourceoffat.Soit’snoaccident

thatyoulovecarrotwithhummusasthefats

fromthetahini,orperhapsoliveoil,depending

onyourrecipe,helptheabsorptionofthe

preciouscarotenoids.

Importantly,don’tforgetthecarrottops!Full

ofpotassium,vitaminC andotherphytonutrients,

theymakeanexcellentpestocombinedwithyour

favouriteherbandenjoyedin moderation.Youcan

evengrowcarrottopsfromthenubbyendofyour

carrot,bysittingit ona platewitha smallamount

ofwaterandplacingit in a sunnyposition.

Deliciousraw,sautéed,mashedorroasted,

carrotsarea mainstayofourvegiecrispersfor

goodreason.I dareyoutofindanothervegetable

thathasassatisfyinga crunchandis asversatile

andlong-lasting.Youwillmostlikelyfinddifferent

heirloomvarietiesandcoloursavailableif you

lookoutforthem,sobesuretotryoutsomenew

versionsofthisoldfavourite.

Megis a practisingnaturopath,cook,mother,

writer,healthadvocateandpassionatewholefood

enthusiastbasedin Melbourne.

Rediscovering your roots

Carrotsholda specialplaceinourhearts.Theyaredeliciousraworcooked,

kidsgenerallylikethem,theyaregreatforyourbodyand,perhapsmost

importantly,theyareanexcellentvehicleforhummus.

Deliciousraw,sautéed,

mashedorroasted,carrots

area mainstayofourvegie

crispersforgoodreason.

Photography: Getty

16 | EatWell

THE WHOLE FOOD

meg thompson