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May 2005
Bottle Full of Beta
Los Banos, Calif. – Everyone knows that carrots are good for your eyes, they may not give you night vision, but they do provide numerous health benefits that make them the star of the carotenoids family.
Over the past few years, research shows that beta-carotene (found in carrots and other orange foods) is key when it comes to preventing various types of cancer from forming. Beta-carotene is also a major source of vitamin A that can help block ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It’s difficult not to talk about all its health benefits.
But if the thought of gnawing on raw carrots makes your skin turn a shade of orange, try mixing them with other orange and yellow fruits and veggies.
You can get a wide variety of these phytonutrients all at one time, in a new fruit and veggie juice from Kagome called Orange Carrot Blossom. The blend combines three fruits and eight vegetables including oranges, carrots, sweet bell peppers and lemons. The juice doesn’t contain any added sugar or preservatives.
Nutrition experts say there’s no reason to stress about not eating raw vegetables. The “UC Berkeley Wellness Letter” points out that, "the processing of veggies --notably tomatoes, corn, and carrots -- actually boosts levels of some helpful substances called phytochemicals (or phytonutrients), such as beta-carotene and lycopene."
In fact, in carrots, heat improves the bioavailability of beta-carotene because it helps to break down the tough cellular walls of carrots that retain the phytonutrient.
The point of this carrot: with the new FDA recommendations of 11 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, it’s important to eat more produce. For many people, drinking these juices may be a convenient way to consume a variety of fruits and veggies to get your disease fighting phytonutrients year round.
Kagome’s Orange Carrot Blossom juice can be found in natural health food stores nationwide (16 and 30-oz. Bottle/$2.29 - $3.39). Find a store at: /