Know2eat

Carrots

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

Also known as Orange carrot, Purple carrot, Baby carrot

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The taproot of a cultivated umbellifer, orange in most modern varieties because of selective breeding for carotene. Purple, yellow and white types predate the orange ones.

Heart HealthEye Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Some small trials report modest reductions in cholesterol with daily raw carrots, attributed to the soluble fibre. The trials are few, old and small.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Macular health

Eye Health
Limited evidence

Carrots contribute carotenoids relevant to eye tissue, though far less lutein and zeaxanthin than leafy greens. Trials of carrots and macular outcomes are essentially absent.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Visual function

Eye Health
Insufficient evidence

The idea that carrots sharpen normal eyesight comes from wartime propaganda rather than research. Vitamin A deficiency genuinely impairs night vision and carrots supply the precursor, but in people who are not deficient there is no dependable evidence that eating more improves vision.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Carrots

Ask about Carrots

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories41 kcal2%
Protein0.93 g2%
Total fat0.24 g0%
Carbohydrate9.58 g3%
Fibre2.8 g10%
Total sugars4.74 g—
Water88.3 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.032 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.012 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.102 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.1 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A835 µg93%
Vitamin C5.9 mg7%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.66 mg4%
Vitamin K13.2 µg11%
Thiamin (B1)0.066 mg6%
Riboflavin (B2)0.058 mg4%
Niacin (B3)0.983 mg6%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.273 mg5%
Vitamin B60.138 mg8%
Folate19 µg5%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline8.8 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium33 mg3%
Iron0.3 mg2%
Magnesium12 mg3%
Phosphorus35 mg3%
Potassium320 mg7%
Sodium69 mg3%
Zinc0.24 mg2%
Copper0.045 mg5%
Manganese0.143 mg6%
Selenium0.1 µg0%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene8285 µg—
Alpha-carotene3477 µg—
Lycopene1 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin256 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.97 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Carrots, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170393).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • cookedIncreases beta-carotene bioaccessibility

    Cooking softens the plant cell walls that trap carotenoids, releasing considerably more beta-carotene for absorption than raw carrot does. Pureeing after cooking increases it further.

  • with fatIncreases beta-carotene absorption

    Beta-carotene is fat-soluble and absorption is poor without dietary fat in the same meal. Even a small amount of oil makes a large difference.

  • boiledReduces vitamin C and polyphenols

    Water-soluble vitamin C and phenolic acids leach into cooking water. Steaming or roasting keeps more of them in the vegetable.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Birch-pollen oral allergy syndrome

    Carrot is one of the most frequent triggers of birch-related oral allergy syndrome, causing mouth and lip itching with raw carrot in sensitised people. Cooked carrot is usually tolerated because the responsible protein is heat-sensitive.

  • Too much

    Carotenodermia

    Eating large amounts of carrots over weeks can turn the palms, soles and sometimes the face a yellow-orange. It is harmless and fades when intake drops, and it is distinguished from jaundice by the whites of the eyes staying white.

  • Worth knowing

    Beta-carotene supplements are a different matter

    High-dose beta-carotene supplements increased lung cancer rates in smokers and asbestos-exposed workers in two large trials. That finding applies to isolated high-dose supplements and has not been seen with carotenoids from food.