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Carrots are a root vegetable that can be eaten raw, whole, chopped or shaved into salads for color, and are also often chopped and cooked in soups and stews. β-carotene, a dimer of Vitamin A, is abundant in the carrot and gives this vegetable its characteristic orange colour. Furthermore, carrots are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, and minerals. However, as seen here, carrots can be selectively bred to come in many colours. A common urban legend is that carrots aid a human being's night vision. Lack of Vitamin A can, however, cause poor vision, which can be restored by adding Vitamin A back into the diet. Photo credit: Stephen Ausmus, USDA |
