Is Carrot a Fruit Or a Vegetable? (Benefits & Side Effects)

Carrot is everyone’s favorite food because of their vivid orange color and somewhat sweet flavor, but many people often wonder whether it is a fruit or a vegetable. If you are here, it means you also have this question in mind. Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered.

A carrot is a vegetable and not a fruit. It is because it is not developed from a flower and does not have any seeds in them. So, their slightly sweet taste should not deceive you from being labeled as fruits.

Want more info? Here, I am explaining why a carrot is a vegetable. As a bonus, I am also exploring this vegetable’s top benefits and side effects.

Key Takeaways:

  • Carrots are a vegetable whether you look at them botanically or horticulturally. They are not developed from the floral parts of the flower and do not have seeds in them.
  • They are a great source of vitamins A, C, & K and many other valuable minerals.
  • Carrots benefit the body by enhancing immunity, supporting weight loss, preventing cancer, reducing cholesterol, and improving the skin’s health and glow.
  • If you are not careful with the consumption, carrots can cause yellow skin pigmentation, pollen allergy, high glucose levels, and some more side effects.

Carrot is a Vegetable- Here’s Why

Carrots are a common crop with year-round harvesting periods. Since the stalks and leaves are unattractive, it is generally used as root vegetable. A lot of people consider them fruits because of their sweet taste but that’s not true. They are vegetables in every way you look at them.

So, what’s the evidence that made me claim that a carrot is a vegetable? The answer is observation and science.

Observation is the best way to know whether a plant’s part is a fruit or vegetable.

Inspecting the original plant is a simple way to tell whether it’s a fruit or vegetable. In inspection, we check whether a plant’s part falls under the botanical and horticultural definition of a fruit or vegetable. This is where science comes in.

It’s time for details.

Botanically- Carrots are Vegetables

In botanical terminology, fruits are the offspring of plants and typically contain seeds. Contrarily, vegetables are described as plant components that don’t produce seeds.

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In light of this definition, it is clear that carrots are vegetables as they don’t have any seeds in them.

In addition to carrots, other root vegetables include beets, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and radishes.

Horticulturally- Carrots Are Veggies

Horticulture is the practice of growing plants for human consumption or other purposes. Contrary to agriculture, it grows a wider range of crops in fewer quantities.

The definition of a vegetable in horticulture is “the part grown vegetatively from a plant’s vegetative part.”

Well, Carrots are grown vegetatively. They are not developed from a flower or ripened ovary like the fruits.

Simply put, a carrot is considered a vegetable in every way.

We have established that the carrots you eat are vegetables; it is time to know what benefits they provide to your body.

Benefits of Carrots- Why Should You Eat Them?

Carrots are developed from the wild plant Daucus Carota, which is exclusive to Europe and southwest Asia. But fortunately, they are now available everywhere as almost everyone likes them. Those countries that don’t grow them are forced to import them due to public demand.

People love their sweet taste and the ability to add them to a lot of recipes. Plus, who doesn’t love carrot cakes? But instead of a delish taste, everyone should eat carrots regularly because of their health benefits.

Yes, carrots are nutritious!

Check out its nutritional value.

Carrot Nutritional Value

A 60-gram carrot has the following nutritional content:

Calories25
Carbohydrates6g
Fiber2g
Sugar2-3 g
Protein0.4g
Vitamin A73% of Daily Value intake
Vitamin C5% of Daily Value Intake

In addition, vitamin K, calcium, iron, and other minerals are also present in carrots. This nutritional content is enough to offer dozens of health benefits.

Here are the top six significant advantages of this nutrient-rich vegetable.

1.   Enhances the Immune System

According to Emily Rice, RD of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Vitamin A is essential for immune system maintenance. It is because carrots are rich in Beta carotene, which the body transforms into vitamin A and Vitamin C.

These two vitamins boost immunity and prevent the body from lots of diseases.

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2.   Support Weight Loss

Carrots are the perfect food to eat on the weight loss journey. There are just approximately 25 calories in a medium carrot, meaning they are a perfect snack.

A medium-sized carrot can fulfill the untimely hunger or craving while only adding 25 calories. So, weight loss will become a lot easier if you add carrots to your diet.

That’s not it.

We all know that hydration is super important if you want to get slimmer. Fresh or raw carrots have roughly 88% water. So, eating them raw can help your body stay hydrated, which also helps with weight loss.

3.   Prevention From Cancer

Carrots are a great source of antioxidants that destroy free radicals roaming in the body. These free radicals are cancer-causing and are one of the worst enemies of human health. Thankfully, eating raw, chopped-up, or cooked carrots can get rid of them.

4.   Heart Healthy

Non-starchy vegetables like carrots are good for lowering your bad cholesterol and improving your heart health. This is partly because carrots have a lot of soluble fiber, which can assist in reducing cholesterol naturally.

In addition to this, carrots also have phosphorus in them. This mineral relaxes the blood vessels and arteries. As a result, blood flow gets smooth and the chances of heart strokes are reduced significantly.

5.   Fight Body Inflammation

Carrots have an antioxidant-producing pigment called anthocyanin. This substance aids in lowering inflammation in the body.

So, if you have complaints about inflammation, then add carrots to your diet.

6.   Benefits Your Skin

Eating foods rich in vitamin A can help protect your skin from UV radiation damage. Fortunately, a carrot is one such food that provides loads of Vitamin A.

A medium-sized carrot nourishes the body with 73 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin A.

In addition, carrots contain natural oil, which can help moisturize and protect your skin. Furthermore, the oil contains a lot of linoleic acids, an omega-6 fatty acid that can help reduce skin inflammation.

In a nutshell, if you are serious about your skin health, then make room for carrots in your daily diet.

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So, these are the six best benefits of carrots.

Wondering if are there any side effects of this vegetable? Well, yes!

Side Effects of Carrots

Carrots have numerous health benefits, but they also have some unwelcome side effects that many people are not aware of.

Some of them are:

  • The body converts high quantities of beta-carotene found in carrots into vitamin A. When you eat a lot of carrots, your blood will have a lot of carotenoids, which results in carotenemia. In this condition, the skin’s complexion turns yellow.
  • Pollen grains found in carrots can cause allergy symptoms in certain people.
  • Due to their high sugar content, diabetic patients should not consume too many carrots.
  • Infants run the risk of choking on carrot sticks. So, you might want to cut back on the number of carrots you feed your babies.
  • Nursing women should refrain from drinking too many glasses of carrot juice because it may alter the flavor of breast milk.

Did you notice that the side effects of carrots are caused by eating too many of them? Well, excess of any vegetable is bad, and carrots should be consumed in controlled quantities as health experts recommend.

It is recommended that an adult should not eat more than three medium-sized carrots (180 grams in total) per day. A baby should eat only one carrot daily to avoid undesirable effects. Also, please leave some days in between and eat any other fruit or vegetable in place of carrots to avoid over-consumption.

To Sum Up

All in all, a carrot is, without a doubt, a vegetable. Whether you look at the botanical and horticultural definition, carrots are veggies, not fruit.

They are not developed from flowers and do not have any seeds in them. They are developed from a vegetative part of a flower.

But being a vegetable does not decrease its nutritional importance. Carrots are rich in carbs, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and many other nutrients, leading to many health benefits like stronger immunity, prevention of cancer, improved heart health, glowing skin, and much more.

Make sure you don’t eat more than three medium-sized carrots a day, as overeating them can lead to side effects like yellow skin pigmentation, pollen allergy, high sugar levels in your blood, etc.

That’s everything about carrots!