Good To Know

Although orange carrots are familiar today, the root vegetable originates from the Middle East and was purple, white and yellow. It was mostly harvested for the green tops and for seeds. The seeds made their way to Europe, and in the 17th century, a strain higher in beta-carotene was developed, giving it the now popular orange color.

Carrots are a great source of vitamin A, otherwise known as retinol, which helps the body synthesize the pigment in the eyes that operates at low light. So, while the carrot can help ward off macular degeneration and help see in the dark, it won’t help to develop full-fledged night vision, as once believed.