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Home arrow Nutrition arrow Weight Management arrow Are Carrots Good for Weight Loss?

Are Carrots Good for Weight Loss?

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Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
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Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: May 3, 2023
5 min read 2086 Views 0 Comments
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Are carrots good for weight loss diets? We take a look at the answer to this question and other health benefits of consuming more carrots in this article.

Are carrots good for weight loss

A root vegetable packed full of nutrition, the carrot has been a staple of a healthy diet for generations. Eating carrots is considered a good choice, and everything from carrot juice to raw carrots adds to a healthy living plan.

Carrots are often touted as a healthy choice as they contain beta carotene, vitamin K1, vitamin A, fiber, and other nutrients, but can they help you lose weight?

In this article, we take a deep dive into the nutritional benefits of carrots and whether or not they’re able to aid you in weight loss. Keep reading to learn more now.

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Carrot Nutrition Facts

Carrots are high in carbohydrates but relatively low in other macronutrients, including fat and protein. They are highly nutritious in terms of vitamins and minerals and are often recommended to those looking to boost their vitamin C intake.

Below is the nutritional value of carrots (100 g).

Net CarbsTotal CarbsFatsProtein
6.78g9.58g2.8g0.93g
CaloriesFiberSugarsGlycemic Index
41 kcal2.8g4.74g35

Carrots contain a range of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B6, C, and K, biotin, and potassium. Along with these nutrients, carrots also contain a range of plant compounds, including beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body.

What Are Carrots Good for?

With a high content of vitamins, minerals, and other plant compounds, carrots are good for boosting your overall health. The high content of vitamin A in carrots is good for eye health, while carrot intake has also been associated with lowered blood cholesterol levels.

Adding carrots to your daily diet may be useful in helping you lose weight and excess belly fat due to their high fiber content. The fiber in carrots helps you feel fuller for longer, curbing snacking between meals and reducing portion sizes. In addition, the fiber content of carrots also makes them an effective way to regulate blood sugar levels.

With both calcium and vitamin K, carrots are also good for bone health. Vitamin K is integral in forming new bones, while calcium supports bone strength and overall health.

Finally, carrots contain antioxidants that help protect your body against the damage caused by oxidative stress and free radicals. This damage can be linked to many chronic illnesses, including some cancers.

Are Carrots Good for Weight Loss?

Carrots are a good choice to be included in a weight loss diet because they are low in calories. Eating at a calorie deficit is the only tried and tested way to sustainably lose weight, and so eating fewer calories than you burn is in your best interests when trying to lose weight.

Carrots are also high in fiber. Fiber is not digested by the body and simply passes through the digestive system. Eating more fiber helps you feel fuller for longer, helping you eat less at meals and avoid snacking.

Carrots are a good food choice for weight loss because they can fill you up while still eating at a calorie deficit. Try adding carrot sticks, raw carrots, and cooked carrots into your weight loss plan.

5 Astonishing Benefits of Eating Carrots

Along with weight loss, carrots come with lots of other benefits. We’ve summarized some of these benefits below.

#1 Better eye health

Carrots are high in vitamin A, associated with good eye health.

The outside covering of your eyeball is called a cornea. Vitamin A works to keep this part of the eye clear.

Vitamin A is also needed to form the protein rhodopsin, which helps you see in low light conditions.

While vitamin A deficiency is very rare in developed countries, not getting enough can lead to deteriorated eye health and eventual blindness.

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means that to absorb the most of this vitamin from carrots, it is best to eat them alongside healthy fats, like extra virgin olive oil.

#2 Lower blood cholesterol

Carrots are high in soluble fiber, which is thought to lower blood cholesterol levels.

High cholesterol levels indicate poor heart health and can lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

Eating more carrots, and losing weight overall, can help you reduce your blood cholesterol levels and increase your health overall.

#3 Possible weight loss

If you’re looking to lose weight, carrots are a useful food to add to your diet.

To begin with, carrots are low in calories and can be consumed as part of a weight-loss regime that requires a calorie deficit. Eating at a calorie deficit aids weight loss by forcing you to burn more calories than you consume.

Eating carrots and consuming carrot juice may also be useful in helping you lose belly fat. This is because of their high levels of soluble fiber, which is thought to push you to lose belly fat fast.

Abdominal obesity has been associated with many chronic illnesses, so adding carrot juice to your diet could improve your overall health.

Though consuming carrot juice is a proven method of helping you lose weight naturally, it is important to note that some vegetable juices may contain lots of sugar and should only be consumed in limited amounts.

#4 Lower risk of cancer

Carotenoids are the pigments that give carrots their color. They act as antioxidants when in the human body.

The high levels of carotenoids in carrots are associated with a reduced risk of the development of cancer, in particular prostate, colon, and stomach cancers.

Antioxidants protect the body against free radical damage and oxidative stress, which is associated with the development of many chronic illnesses, including cancer. Research suggests that higher levels of carotenoids in the body can protect you against these diseases.

#5 Prevents hair loss

Carrots are packed with hair-healthy vitamins.

The vitamin A content in carrots is associated with better scalp health, improving circulation to the scalp, and strengthening the hair follicles.

Vitamin K is associated with strengthening the hair strands and aiding in hair regrowth, and biotin helps the body produce the protein keratin, which aids in hair regrowth too.

FAQs

Are carrots good for you?

Carrots are very good for you. They provide a long list of nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and K, as well as plant compounds and antioxidants like carotenoids. They’re also low in calories and fats, making them good for weight loss.

How many calories are in carrots?

Per 100 g of raw carrots, there are approximately 41 calories. This makes carrots a low-calorie food. The calorie content of carrots may increase depending on how you cook them. For instance, cooking carrots in oil would increase their calorie value.

Who should not eat carrots?

People who are allergic to carrots should not consume them, nor should anyone on a low-carb, high-fat diet like the keto diet. This is because carrots have a high carb value and could interfere with the ketosis desired in the keto diet.

How many carrots should I eat daily?

Eating 1–2 carrots daily is enough to keep you in good health. Eating too many carrots may result in carotenemia, which is when your skin turns yellow/orange and is caused by eating too much beta-carotene. Eating between 3–10 carrots daily for several weeks may lead to this condition.

What is the daily value of vitamin A in carrots?

Half a cup of raw carrots is thought to contain around 51% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A. You can also find vitamin A in leafy greens, tomatoes, and red bell peppers. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A. The body converts vitamin A into retinyl esters to store in the liver for later use.

A Word From Our Nutritionist

Eating carrots in any form, including juice, raw carrot sticks, boiled carrots, and canned carrots, is good to help you lose weight. Carrots are low in calories and can help you feel full while remaining at a calorie deficit.

Eating at a calorie deficit is the only truly effective weight loss diet and can help prevent fat cell growth by pushing your body to burn more calories than it takes in before moving to burn fat for fuel.

Carrots are also good for your overall health, coming with numerous health benefits. They contain lots of vitamins, including vitamin C and A, along with other plant compounds.

They are thought to reduce your risk of certain cancers, improve eye health, and reduce blood cholesterol levels.

Conclusion

Carrots are a good food choice to help you lose weight faster. With a low-calorie value, they will support a calorie deficit. Carrots may also improve your health in other ways.

Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
Edibel Quintero is a medical doctor who graduated in 2013 from the University of Zulia and has been working in her profession since then. She specializes in obesity and nutrition, physical rehabilitation, sports massage and post-operative rehabilitation. Edibel’s goal is to help people live healthier lives by educating them about food, exercise, mental wellness and other lifestyle choices that can improve their quality of life.
The article was fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
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HR_author_photo_Edibel
Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
HR_author_photo_Rosmy
Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: May 3, 2023
5 min read 2086 Views 0 Comments
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