Carrot - Daucus carota

Common Names: Carrot, wild carrot, Queen Anne's lace, bird's nest, bishop's lace, daucus, daucus carota, carrot root, daucus carotte, zanahoria silvestre, garijara, shikha-mula, beesnest plant, common carrot, carotte commune, carotte sauvage, nan he shi, Nid d'Oiseau

Latin Name: Daucus karota

Origin: Asia, Australia, Europe, North America

Short Introduction

For optimal carrot growth, it is recommended to properly prepare the soil by loosening it well and adding compost prior to the spring sowing. Stony and waterlogged soils are not suitable, as carrot roots tend to split and may rot in such environments. The best conditions are a site with medium-textured soil and full sun. Sow seeds from mid-April in rows about 15 cm apart, at a depth of about 1 cm.

Detailed Description

A traditional vegetable of temperate regions. Honestly, who doesn’t know the carrot?

Botanical Information

The carrot is a biennial, upright plant that is notably hairy, stiff, and firm, generally reaching heights of 30 to 60 cm. Its leaves are tripinnate, delicately lace-like, and triangular in shape. The flowers are small, dark white, and grouped in flat, dense umbels, which may take on a pinkish hue with a reddish center. The lower branches are lanceolate or forked. As the seeds develop, the edges curl inward and the surface becomes convex. The fruit is oval and flat, with short styles and hooked spines, which attract insects and latch onto them for dispersal.

Origin and Distribution

The precise origin of the carrot remains uncertain. Some sources propose that carrots were first cultivated in what is now Afghanistan and neighboring regions, from where they spread to the Mediterranean in the early Middle Ages and eventually gained popularity in Western Europe and beyond during the modern era. English references note that modern carrot cultivars were developed in France around the 19th century. Today, carrots can be found throughout most of Europe, except for the far north, thriving best in temperate climates. They are also present in North and East Africa, Western Asia, India, South America, Australia, and are common in the Czech Republic, ranging from lowlands to mountain foothills (up to about 1000 meters above sea level).

Usage / Dosage

In traditional folk medicine, the carrot has been used for addressing mild issues such as kidney stones and other urinary tract ailments. Folk healers have recommended ample consumption of carrot for bladder problems, gout, indigestion (dyspepsia), digestive complaints, increased gas formation, nervous digestive disorders, and frequent diarrhea (thanks to its fiber content).

Western European folk medicine has often advocated eating carrots for intestinal worms and other parasitic diseases of the digestive tract, for uterine pain, and for young women at the onset of menstruation. In Southwest Asia, the plant continues to be consumed as an aphrodisiac, a nerve tonic, and for reducing water retention (such as swollen legs). Other healers, mostly in Africa, apply carrot poultices to burns, to skin issues resembling cancerous growths, and for heart conditions. Some herbals recommend carrots for digestive disorders, nausea, diarrhea, and as a preventive for vision problems (possible use in ophthalmology).

Active Compounds

Carrots contain small amounts of bitter-tasting polyacetylenes (falcarinol, falcarindiol) that have shown activity against fungal diseases caused by Mycocentrospora acerina and Cladosporium cladosporioides. Also present are pyrrolidine, 6-hydroxymellein, 6-methoxymellein, eugenin, gazarin, falcarindiol-3-acetate, beta-carotene, vitamin A, alpha-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin (important carotenoids included in supplements for eye health), vitamin K, and vitamin B6. Carrots are made up of about 88% water; the rest consists of roughly 5% polysaccharides, about 3% protein, and so on. The dietary fiber content is mainly cellulose, with lesser amounts of hemicellulose, lignin, and starch. Simple, readily available sugars in carrots include sucrose, glucose, fructose, and their derivatives.

Traditional Dosage

The appropriate dose of carrots depends on various factors such as age, health status, and other circumstances.