The Wonders of Carrot

Belonging to parsley family, Daucus carota sativus or commonly tagged as carrot, is a vegetable as root crop. It is rich in antioxidants Beta-Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Phytochemicals and Glutathione.  It is also very good of Calcium, Potassium, and Vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E which protects and nourishes the skin. Carrot also has Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorous, and Sulphur.

Carrot is called as nutritional hero because of the following:

·         Carrot has the ability to enhance breast milk’s quality.

·          It can enhance the skin, hair and nails.

·         When it is taken every day, carrot can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.

·          A raw carrot has beta-carotene which is a strong antioxidant and can prevent cancer.

·         Taken as juice and is taken every day can prevent infections of the body and is important for the adrenal glands.

·          Carrot can help to enhance eye problems.

·         Carrot can also help in the menstrual flow and can normalize blood sugar.

·         It can improve colon conditions because carrot is very rich in fibre.

It is also known to help in the following health concerns:

·         Obesity

·         Poisoning of the blood

·         Gum diseases

·         Insomnia

·         Inflamed kidney, liver and gallbladder

·         Alzheimer’s disease

·         Colitis

·         Ulcer and painful urination.

Carrot has also some chlorine which helps for the proper functioning of liver and has cleansing and antiseptic effects on the digestive and circulatory systems.  Also, it is rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium which are very important to ensure strong bones. Phosphorus is good for the skin, hair and the nerves while magnesium in fresh carrot helps in mental development, digestion of fats, and metabolism of mineral salts like calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. Sulphur present in carrot is a main ingredient of insulin.

Vitamin E present in carrot promotes good condition of the muscular system.

Its high level of carotene makes its color orange. Carrots are the only vegetable that contains carotene that the body converts into Vitamin A. It contains 87% water, and in smaller quantity, it has essential oils, carbohydrates, and nitrogenous composites. Carrots are also known for their sweetening, anti-anemic, healing, diuretic, and remineralizing properties.

Health Benefits of Pandan

Commonly known as Pandan, Pandanus amarylifolius is a tropical plant and is popularly used as flavoring in cooking. It is a green plant with fan-shaped long, narrow and bladelike leaves. It is believed to be a sterile plant, propagated through cuttings, and flowers were rare.

It is called as Ketaki in Bangladesh, pandan wangi in Indonesia, soon-mhway in Burma, bai tooey in Thailand, la dua in Vietnam.

There are about 48 species of Pandanus in the Philippines and most of them are commonly growing in different habitats such as sandy beaches, mangroves, and even in forests. There are some species which bear fruits and are edible and eaten by bats, rats, crabs, elephants and lizards.

Pandan has various uses and benefits. They are used as flavoring, as a cure, and even for handicrafts.

The following are its uses as cure:

 As diuretic, you can take a decoction of fresh or dried prop root as tea.

Roots can be chewed for stronger gums

Extracting juice from Pandan leaves can be used for headaches, arthritis, and stomach spasms.

Powdered leaves can facilitate wound healing.

Extracting juice from its roots is believed to have aphrodisiac and cardiotonic effects.

Mixing pandan leaves with a crushed cabbage, salt, and citrus juice can be used for abscesses.

Studies have shown that Pandan contains flavonoids which are important to health as they are antiviral, anti-allergen, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant.