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Cancer Prevention | 06/19/2009 10:15 am

Study: Carrots Help Fight Cancer Better When They're Uncut

British researchers found that cut carrots lose more vital anti-cancer ingredients when they’re cooking than whole carrots do.
By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© Shutterstock

British researchers now tell us of another way to stave off cancer: cutting your carrots before eating them, but after cooking them.

Scientists say that cutting a carrot after boiling could boost the amount of a natural anti-cancer sugar called falcarinol in the vegetables by a quarter. If the veggies are cut up first, more of their nutrients are lost in the water as they cook, says The Daily Telegraph. Boiled-before-cut carrots contained 25 percent more falcarinol than those that were chopped up first.

"By cooking them whole and chopping them up afterwards you are locking in both taste and nutrients so the carrot is better for you all around," said study co-author Dr. Kirsten Brandt. "All you need is a bigger saucepan."

So next time you’re preparing these great-tasting orange veggies, save the cutting for last!

10 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

CHardy
All this research is finally coming out…What has taken so long?
By CHardy on 06/19/2009 11:08 am
KristyB
Well I like to eat them raw anyway :)!
By KristyB on 06/19/2009 11:44 am
MaggieW
I bet those deep thinking British researchers are fun at a cocktail  party.  Nothing more exciting than talking about carrots.
By MaggieW on 06/19/2009 11:46 am
JudyK
Bugs Bunny had it right all along.
By JudyK on 06/19/2009 2:26 pm
DeBrcaobj
I wish I liked carrots more.
By DeBrcaobj on 06/19/2009 3:46 pm
Cjay

DB, try one grilled whole, they are more than yummy. Some firend howled recently when I served them hot dogs with buns, and all th etrimmings, and told them between their ohhhs and ahhhhs that they were eating a whole grilled organic carrot. As one said, they wondered why I was eating hot dogs! ;-))

Also, save the water veggies are cooked in period. Freeze it in ice cube trays, or mason jars (I don’t use plactic bags any more). This will be your stock for your next great veggie soup, rice, hot drink next winter (with some fresh raw ginger, and garden parley tossed in, dry or fresh. Frankly, I think most veggies are best brilled not boiled, and uncut before eating.

A great pan to own is the "asparagus" pan - long, low, and perfect size, but it’s so much easier to grill veggies, or bake to roast - throwing on some EVOO before grilling. That small counter top grill is perfect for 1-2 diners, and so easy to clean without taking it apart (I pull mine to the edge of the sink, douse it with soap, and spray it clean and the water runs into the sink).

 

By Cjay on 06/20/2009 9:31 pm
JamestheGame

This is extremely old news. This has been known for decades, and you can Google-research accounts almost word-for-word to the same effect from previous studies.

By JamestheGame on 06/19/2009 7:22 pm
BethCornell
I love carrots. They are one of my favorite veggies.
By BethCornell on 06/19/2009 7:36 pm
IMLIZZIE
I eat so many raw baby carrots that the palms of my hands are red. I just love them.
By IMLIZZIE on 06/20/2009 12:34 am
Cjay
Lizzie, in Germany they are fed to babies by the pound, I think. Those little ones have that lovely carotine blush. ;-)) For you, "Hands up."
By Cjay on 06/20/2009 9:33 pm