carrots help you see??

“Eat your carrots, they help you see better!!!”…Really Grandma??

For many of us, this may have been a familiar sentence that had been recycled through generations, but how much truth does it actually hold?

Surprisingly, grandma’s got it right for once!! Carrots, like other orange fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes and apricots carry large amounts of beta-carotenoids, which do assist in prevention against glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and night blindness. Now, what if you hate each of those three items? Does that mean you will get all of the above listed eye disorders? The answer is no! The main ingredient you are looking for is vitamin A, which is also referred to as retinol. However, despite what many may believe, taking a supplement of omega-3 fatty acids or other vitamins containing vitamin A will not help with eye health. This doesn’t mean that these supplements are not effective for other things.  Beta-carotenoids are converted to vitamin A once our body begins to break it down. Where can vitamin A be found? Fish oil, liver, eggs, fortified dairy products, and the obvious red meats. Even eating a salad will get you some vitamin A. So maybe carrots aren’t your thing? Well the good news is vitamin A can be found in so many other things providing you with several options to choose from.  

So about those carrots, next time grandma tells you to eat them….do it! Or you can pretend you ate them and go get a tasty salad later, that’s what I do!!

< http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/questions-about-nutrition/MY01991/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=Food&utm_campaign=GPS>