Do you ever find yourself feeling the urge to snack on a few baby carrots during the week?
New research suggests you may be making smart moves to improve your health.
According to a June 30 media release, the small study found that eating just three baby carrots a week “significantly increased” carotenoids in the skin of young adults.
Drinking carrot juice may boost your immunity and reduce inflammation, researchers say.
And combining this healthy snack with a multivitamin that contains the carotenoid beta-carotene further boosts levels of these phytonutrients, the study found.
“Previous studies have demonstrated that consuming three times the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily for three weeks can increase carotenoid concentrations in the skin,” Mary Harper Simmons, a nutritional science master’s student at Samford University in Alabama, said in the release.
Eating baby carrots just three times a week “significantly increases” carotenoids in the skin of young adults, according to a new study. (iStock)
“Our findings suggest that a small, simple dietary change such as including baby carrots as a snack can significantly increase carotenoid accumulation in the skin,” she said.
“Carrots are the number one source of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which is essential for the immune system,” Ilana Murstein, a Los Angeles-based nutritionist and registered dietitian who was not involved in the study, previously told Fox News Digital.
“Carrots are well known for being rich in vitamin A and carotenoids, especially beta-carotene.”
Mülstein also believes that the fiber in carrots acts as a prebiotic. Gut Health and overall immunity.
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Another nutrition expert said much the same thing.
Carrots are well known for being a rich source of vitamin A and carotenoids, especially beta-carotene, Alyssa Burnison, R.D., a Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based registered dietitian with profileplan.com, who was also not involved in the study, previously told Fox News Digital.
“Our findings suggest that a small, simple dietary change such as including baby carrots as a snack can significantly increase carotenoid accumulation in the skin,” the researchers said. (iStock)
“The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is known to support immune function and eye health,” she said.
It’s right to be bright
Carotenoids are the source of the bright red, orange and yellow pigments in many fruits and vegetables, and because we can only get these pigments through our diet, measuring the amount of carotenoids in the peel can help gauge fruit and vegetable intake, the release said.
Higher carotenoid concentrations in the skin have been linked to increased antioxidant protection and a lower risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and certain cancers, which also reflect better skin health and immune function, the same source noted.
The researchers now want to study the effects of other foods rich in carotenoids, such as sweet potatoes and green leafy vegetables.
Simmons will present the results of her new study at Nutrition 2024, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), taking place in Chicago from June 29 to July 2.
According to the ASN website, the three-day event will feature scientific presentations, professional development and networking opportunities.
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In the new study, researchers randomly divided 60 young people into groups.
Both groups consumed sliced Granny Smith apples (control group), 100 grams (about half a cup) of baby carrots, or a multivitamin supplement containing beta-carotene, or a combination of baby carrots and the supplement, for four weeks.
“Carrots are the primary source of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, which is essential for the immune system,” one nutritionist told me. (Roberto Machado Noah/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The researchers quantified carotenoids in the skin of study participants before and after the intervention using a “non-invasive, research-grade spectroscopic device called a VeggieMeter.”
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The researchers found that, compared to pre-intervention levels, skin carotenoid scores significantly increased by 10.8% in the baby carrot group and 21.6% in the carrot plus supplement group, noted the media release.
“There may be differences in how carotenoids are absorbed depending on whether they are consumed through food or supplements.”
No changes in skin carotenoid concentrations were observed in the control group or in the group that only took the supplement.
The report also noted that “multivitamin supplements alone did not increase carotenoid accumulation, so there may be differences in how carotenoids are absorbed depending on whether they are derived from food or supplements.”
Craving a snack? New research suggests that baby carrots might be a really smart choice. (ThinkStock)
The researchers say they want to move forward to learn more about the mechanisms behind these findings and to study the effects of other carotenoid-rich foods, such as sweet potatoes and green leafy vegetables.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the American Academy of Nutrition for further comment on the new study.
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Based in Rockville, Maryland, ASN is said to be the preeminent professional organization for nutrition research scientists and clinicians worldwide.
Fox News Digital’s Angelica Stabile and Perry Ormont Blumberg contributed reporting.
