Carrots help protect against cancer

 

IT'S known that carrots are good for your eyesight, now scientists claim the humble vegetable could also help cut the risks of heart disease and protect against cancer. Researchers at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) in Atlanta found that carrots are packed with carotenoids, the naturally occurring pigments synthesised by plants, which help fight off many diseases, including lung cancer. The antioxidants, which are responsible for the yellow, orange and red colours of many plants, are also found in darkgreen vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, and green peas, The researchers also found a substance, alpha- carotene, in carrots and some other vegetables which is linked with a reduced risk of dying over a 14- year period.

According to them, chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer are caused by oxygen- related damage ,fats and proteins. But carotenoids, including lycopene, betacarotene and alpha- carotene, produced by plants and microorganisms act as antioxidants and counteract this damage.

But, those with higher levels of blood alpha- carotene levels had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease or cancer, the researchers found. And although chemically similar to betacarotene, it may be more effective at inhibiting the growth of cancer cells in the brain, liver and skin. Moreover, results from a population- based case- control study of the association between the consumption of fruits and vegetables and risk of lung cancer suggest that consumption of yellow- orange, carrots, sweet potatoes or pumpkin and winter squash ... which have a high alphacarotene content, was more strongly associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer than was consumption of all other types of vegetables." Although studies suggest that eating more fruits and vegetables is associated with lower risk of chronic diseases.

 By Clara Fernandes
Email Id : clara_fernandes08@yahoo.com