Carrots are good for more than just Bugs Bunny.
胡蘿蔔不僅僅對兔八哥有好處。
With a sweet taste and satisfying crunch, carrots can soothe junk food cravings when you are trying to be good.
當你想要變得健康的時候，胡蘿蔔的甜味和嚼勁可以緩解你對垃圾食品的渴望。
Read on to discover 10 compelling reasons why you should make carrots a daily habit.
下面有10個令人信服的理由讓你覺得應該把吃胡蘿蔔作為每天的習慣。
1 Beta carotene
1. β-胡蘿蔔素
Carrots are a rich source of beta carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant with many health benefits.
胡蘿蔔含有豐富的β-胡蘿蔔素，這是一種強大的抗氧化劑，對健康有很多好處。
In the body, beta carotene is converted to vitamin A to maintain healthy skin.
在體內，β-胡蘿蔔素轉化為維生素A來維持皮膚的健康。
Studies show that beta carotene also protects the lungs against toxins that lead to lung cancer.
研究表明，β-胡蘿蔔素也能保護肺部免受導致肺癌毒素的侵害。
2 Digestion
2 消化
The body needs certain essential minerals, vitamins, fiber, and enzymes to power the process of digestion and carrots have them in spades.
人體需要某些必需的礦物質、維生素、纖維和酶來為消化提供能量，胡蘿蔔富含這些物質。
Carrots have equal amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps to push food through the digestive system.
胡蘿蔔含有等量的可溶性和不可溶性纖維，有助於將食物推進消化系統。
The beta carotene converts to vitamin A, which boosts the health of your lymphocytes.
β-胡蘿蔔素轉化為維生素A，促進淋巴細胞的健康。
Lymphocytes are cells that fight off food-borne pathogens.
淋巴細胞是抵抗食源性病原體的細胞。
And finally, carrots contain a good amount of calcium and potassium, two minerals vital to the normal contraction of all types of muscle, including the ones necessary to move food through your digestive tract.
此外，胡蘿蔔含有大量的鈣和鉀，這兩種礦物質對所有類型肌肉的正常收縮是至關重要的，包括通過消化道運輸食物所必需的肌肉。
For these reasons, studies show that eating carrots regularly may prevent gastric ulcers.
基於這些原因，研究表明經常吃胡蘿蔔可以預防胃潰瘍。
3 Alkaline elements
3. 鹼性元素
Eating too much acid-forming food has a negative health effect, but eating carrots can help return the body to a beneficial pH level.
吃太多的酸性食物對健康有負面影響，但是吃胡蘿蔔可以幫助身體恢復到有益的pH值水平。
4 Potassium
4. 鉀
Potassium works in partnership with sodium to balance fluid levels, which contributes to the health of your kidneys and reduces high blood pressure.
鉀與鈉協同作用，平衡體液水平，有助於腎臟健康，降低高血壓。
Unfortunately, we tend to get a lot more sodium than we need because it is packed into all kinds of processed foods at an incredible level.
不幸的是，我們攝入的鈉往往比我們需要的多得多，因為各種加工食品中鈉含量高得驚人。
Carrots can help bring that balance back into alignment to relieve strain on your kidneys and entire circulatory system.
胡蘿蔔可以幫助恢復平衡，緩解腎臟和整個循環系統的壓力。
5 Dental Health
5. 牙齒健康
Carrots can help keep your teeth and gums healthy in a number of ways.
胡蘿蔔可以在很多方面幫助保持牙齒和牙齦健康。
First, just chomping down on crunchy carrots scrapes away plaque buildup.
首先，嚼碎的胡蘿蔔可以清除斑塊的形成。
Eating carrots also stimulates saliva production, which helps to keep the bacteria in your mouth in check.
吃胡蘿蔔還能刺激唾液分泌，這有助於抑制口腔中的細菌。
Their alkalizing capacity can balance the pH in your mouth as well.
它們的鹼化能力也能平衡你口腔中的pH值。
6 Wounds
6. 傷口
There are two compounds in carrots that can speed the healing of wounds – vitamin C and beta carotene.
胡蘿蔔中有兩種化合物可以加速傷口的癒合——維生素C和β-胡蘿蔔素。
Vitamin C is associated with a healthy immune system and the production of collagen, a critical component of skin.
維生素C與健康的免疫系統和膠原蛋白的產生有關，膠原蛋白是皮膚的關鍵成分。
Beta carotene is known to reduce inflammation so that skin can heal faster.
β-胡蘿蔔素可以減少炎症，使皮膚更快癒合。
You may simply add more carrots to your diet when you have a wound or else pack some grated carrots into a compress and apply directly to the affected area once it has scabbed over.
當你有傷口時，你可以簡單地在你的飲食中添加更多的胡蘿蔔，或者把一些磨碎的胡蘿蔔打包成敷布，一旦患處結痂後直接敷在患處。
7 Phytonutrients
7. 植物營養素
Phytonutrients are naturally occurring plant chemicals and they have a whole host of benefits.
植物營養素是天然存在的植物化學物質，它們有很多好處。
One of the most powerful phytonutrients in carrots is called falcarinol, which is thought to reduce your risk of colon cancer as well as support overall colon health.
胡蘿蔔中最強大的植物營養素之一是鐮葉芹醇，它被認為可以降低患結腸癌的風險，並維持結腸的整體健康。
8 Carotenoids
8. 類胡蘿蔔素
Carrots also feature a particular antioxidant group called carotenoids, which are used to help regulate blood sugar.
胡蘿蔔還含有一種叫做類胡蘿蔔素的抗氧化劑，可以幫助調節血糖。
Therefore, a diet rich in carotenoids can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
因此，富含類胡蘿蔔素的飲食可以降低患2型糖尿病的風險。
9 Fiber
9. 纖維
The soluble fiber in carrots binds to LDL cholesterol (that's the bad kind) and allows our bodies to eliminate it.
胡蘿蔔中的可溶性纖維與低密度脂蛋白膽固醇(一種有害的膽固醇)結合後將其消除。
As a result, we are less prone to blood clots and at a lower risk for heart disease.
因此，我們更不容易出現血栓，患心臟病的風險也更低。
The insoluble fiber helps prevent constipation and intestinal blockages, thereby reducing the risk of problems like hemorrhoids and even colorectal cancer.
不溶性纖維有助於預防便秘和腸道阻塞，從而降低痔瘡甚至結腸直腸癌等疾病的風險。
10. Eyes, hair, nails and skin
10. 眼睛，頭髮，指甲和皮膚
The phytonutrients deliver some of the ingredients that the body needs to build new cells.
植物營養素提供了身體製造新細胞所需的一些成分。
This is a process that happens all the time, but when you have a nutritional deficiency, the new cells are not as healthy as they could be and have a shortened lifespan.
這是一個經常發生的過程，但是當你缺乏營養的時候，新的細胞就不那麼健康了，壽命也縮短了。
Healthy young cells make for clear eyes, glowing skin, and strong nails.
健康的年輕細胞造就了清澈的眼睛、容光煥發的皮膚和堅硬的指甲。
英文來源：Secret of Weight