Your grandma probably told you to eat your carrots to keep from going blind: a slight exaggeration, although carrots do help maintain night vision. But it's hard to exaggerate their other benefits.

Carotene
Carrots are a terrific source of the antioxidant beta-carotene; in fact, they are by far the best commonly consumed source of this essential nutrient. Just one raw carrot contains 13,500 IUs of beta-carotene, more than 250 percent of the RDA. High beta-carotene intake has been shown to decrease the rates of bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, and esophageal cancers by up to 50 percent, and to reduce the rate of postmenopausal breast cancer by 20 percent. Carrot consumption has also been shown to reduce the rate of lung cancer.

Until recently, scientists believed that beta-carotene alone was responsible for the fact the carrot eaters are far less likely to suffer from certain cancers; thus they figured that putting beta-carotene in a pill would produce the same effects. This proved not to be the case--much to the dismay of vitamin manufacturers.

Today scientists theorize that other substances in carrots may play a vital role as well. One prime contender is alpha-carotene, as lesser-known antioxidant that carrots contain in abundance. A recent National Cancer Institute study found that lung cancer occurred more often in men with low intakes of alpha-carotene.

Carrots earned their reputation as eyesight preservers thanks to their high vitamin A content. When beta-carotene converts to vitamin A in the body, it forms an eye pigment called rhodopsin that enables you to see in dim light. And beta-carotene's antioxidant effects also provide protection against cataracts and macular degeneration, the top cause of vision loss in older adults.

Eat whole carrots instead of carrot juice; that way you'll get the full fiber benefits.

If you buy carrots with the greenery intact, remove it before storing, or the green tops will suck out all the vitamins and moisture.

Peel all but organic carrots; carrots are especially likely to be treated with pesticides and other chemicals.

Beta-carotene is not destroyed by cooking; in fact, cooking releases more of the beneficial nutrient from fiber.

Many people think that if certain foods are good, a lot is better.
This is not always the case, and high doses of certain food are actually toxic.

Read about the healthy food, research the vitamins and minerals and check with your health care provider if you are unsure about how much to eat and how much may be too much.