How can eating a daily raw carrot every day improve your health? It has nothing to do with beta carotene. While there are many ways to support your body’s detox pathways, eating a daily carrot salad is inexpensive, easy, and effective.
Want to have less bloating, better digestion, and fewer PMS symptoms? Yes? Grab a raw carrot (or two). Carrots are a powerful tool in your gut and hormone health toolbox.
Carrots have unique fibers
The fibers in raw carrots are similar to those in bamboo shoots and cooked mushrooms. These fibers can:
- Bind to excess estrogens and escort them out of your body
- Bind to endotoxins in the digestive tract. Endotoxins, made by your gut bacteria, cause inflammation, bloating and leaky gut. You don’t want them hanging around.
- Help mitigate bacterial overgrowth that can lead to issues with candida, SIBO, and gut dysbiosis.
- Get your digestion moving. When your digestion is slow, estrogens and endotoxins can be reabsorbed by the body leading to gut issues and hormonal imbalances, like estrogen dominance.
One study showed that eating raw carrots can reduce serum cholesterol by 11%, increased fecal bile acid and fat excretion by 50%, and increase stool weight by 25%. What does that even mean? This means that the raw carrots are having a positive change in the gut microbiota and metabolism. That’s very good news. These positive changes were even observed three weeks after stopping the daily raw carrots!
In Dr. Ray Peat’s research, he found that women reduced issues with estrogen dominance by eating raw carrots. Estrogen dominance, or excess estrogen, is associated with inflammation, more stress on the liver, and suppressed thyroid function.
What is the best way to get in a daily raw carrot? The recipe below was inspired by Dr. Ray Peat.
Raw Carrot Salad Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 🥕 1-2 medium peeled organic carrots, shredded or ribboned
- 🥕 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 🥕 1 teaspoon coconut oil or MCT oil
- 🥕 sea salt, to taste
Combine everything in a bowl and serve. Best if eaten about 30 minutes before mealtime.
Apple cider vinegar and coconut/MCT oil both have antimicrobial properties and help promote healthy gut bacteria.
Troubleshooting: If you have a sluggish thyroid, you could have a hard time converting beta carotene into vitamin A. This could result in developing orange calluses or palms of feet/hands. If this is you, use white carrots that are lower in beta carotene. Or, store your shredded carrots in water and rinse the carrots before eating.
Raw Carrot Salad FAQ:
When do I eat the raw carrot salad?
It’s best eaten in between meals to get the full effects of the fibers and anti-microbial properties. I like to have it while I’m making dinner with a cup of bone broth. The most important thing is consistently eating it every day.
Can I just eat a carrot?
Yes, if you don’t have time to make the salad, eating a peeled, raw carrot will have benefits too, since the main objective of the raw carrot salad is to get the raw carrot fibers. But to fully reap all the benefits, the salad with the vinegar and coconut oil is superior.
Can I add anything to the raw carrot salad?
Yep! I’ve added cooked, shredded beets, coconut flakes, bacon, different herbs, and spices. You can experiment and mix things up. This Carrot, Apple, and Beet Salad is a great variation.
What about oxalates?
Some people who are struggling with metabolic imbalances have issues with oxalates and other plant toxins. Without the right nutrients, like vitamin K2 and retinol, oxalates can build up in the tissues, leading to sensitivities to high-oxalate foods. Most plant toxins, like oxalates, are in the peel, which is why we always peel the carrots before making the salad or eating a raw carrot. This will also reduce the saponin content. It’s important to listen to your body. If you notice reacting to the raw carrot salad, try fermenting the carrots for a few days to see if that helps and get to the root cause of the oxalate issues.
Give it a try!
Try eating a raw carrot salad, in between meals, every day for two weeks and see how your digestion and belly bloat improve. If you have a monthly cycle, don’t be surprised when your PMS symptoms start improving too, due to the clearing of excess estrogens. For severe PMS and estrogen dominance, this can take several months of consistency before seeing PMS improvements, but the digestive improvements come much faster for most.
If you can’t get the salad in, just eat a couple of organic raw carrots! Your hormones and digestion will thank you! 🙏
Resources:
The effect of raw carrot on serum lipids and colon function
Important notes:
I am not a doctor, and I don’t claim to be one. I can’t prevent, treat, cure or diagnose illness or disease. The information presented on this website is not meant to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. The purpose of this website is to share knowledge from my research and experience. I encourage you to make your own decisions regarding your health care based on your own research and relationship with your health care professional.
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