Purple Carrots for Weight Loss

The carrot is a common vegetable amongst Westerners and popular in many forms. Roasted, fried, pickled, juiced and of course raw as a snack and in salads. They are a vegetable from the taproot family closely related to the popular taproots radish and parsnip.

When we think of carrots we generally think of the color orange and this is the type of carrot most readily available to us in the Western world. However, there are actually many different types of carrots and colors.

Here we are going to take a good look at the purple carrot. The color of a carrot is an indication of its nutritional content so a purple carrot has some additional benefits to those of the common orange carrot, even though they taste exactly the same.

Purple Carrots Health Benefits

Antioxidants
Purple carrots have extremely high antioxidant content, one of the highest of all foods. Carrots contain a great deal of beta-carotene which as you can probably guess is how they got their name. Beta-carotene, is an antioxidant that prevents cancers and promotes healthy cardiovascular systems.

Phytochemicals
Purple carrots contain phytochemicals. Phytochemicals have antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties while also playing a role in preventing a range of health conditions and promoting overall physical well-being.

Vitamin A
Children are told early that carrots are good for their eyes and this is true. The high vitamin A content of purple carrots contributes to the maintenance of good eye sight while reducing the chance of cataracts. It also helps to prevent clogging of the arteries.

Soluble fiber
Soluble fiber is known to help maintain healthy levels of blood cholesterol and preventing heart disease. Furthermore, it plays a very important role in regulating digestion to avoid diarrhea and constipation.

Vitamins and Minerals
As with the other varieties, purple carrots possess nutritional benefits that support your health and overall well-being. They contain Vitamin B, C, calcium, pectate, potassium, thiamine, folic acid and magnesium.

Purple Carrots & Weight Loss

On top of all the purple carrot health benefits, they are also capable of playing a primary role in weight loss endeavors.

Purple carrots are of course completely fat free and low in sodium!

Snacking is one area of a weight loss plan where many people struggle with hunger and cravings for all the foods that are a dieter’s worst enemy and of little nutritional value. Carrots are a common and excellent choice for healthy snacking.

Because of their fiber content, purple carrots are filling and leave you feeling satisfied for longer.  They can be dipped in a variety of savory dips to reduce the chance of taste bud boredom and in raw form have a satisfying crunch.

Purple carrots are extremely versatile and easy to prepare as either cut up sticks, eaten as is (bugs bunny style), boiled, roasted, shredded for recipes and salads. If you have access to a juicer, purple carrot juice is an excellent way to benefit from all the healthy offerings from purple carrots in a tasty drink. Purple carrot juice has been said to have the ability to lower blood pressure and regulate blood sugar levels.

Purple Carrot Tips

The beta-carotene content of carrots is in the fiber and is most easily digested when the fiber is broken. It is therefore even healthier to have carrots that have been slightly cooked or juiced for drinking; both processes break up the fiber and release this beta-carotene for digestion.

There is something about the green leafy carrot tops that make a carrot look so healthy and natural. Having said that, get rid of the green leaves from the tops or they will drain the carrot (and deprive you) of vitamins.

Where to get Purple Carrots?

Purple carrots are clearly not as available as orange carrots but may be sourced from markets. We are seeing more of them as more people become aware of their benefits. Purple Carrot Seeds can even be purchased online so you can grow your own, organically.