The long-held belief that carrots are good for your eyes is in fact true, and it’s all thanks to the carotenoids they contain.
Carotenoids, such as the beta-carotene found in carrots, lutein and zeaxanthin, are actually pigments. Yellow, orange and red vegetables owe much of their colouring to them, and they aren’t just for show.
They’re antioxidants, meaning they help to fend off cancer-causing free radicals that spring up within the body, and they play a key role in eye health by helping to filter blue light and help to protect against age-related eye conditions like macular degeneration.
In other words, they’re very much worth eating, and it turns out there’s another age-related health concern that they might help to fight against.
A 2023 study from Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine examined carotenoids’ effects on the brain, particularly in people with Alzheimer’s.
The upshot is that the study concluded a micronutrients-rich diet can lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, with carotenoids being a prime example of those.
Data for the study came from the 2012 Rush Memory and Ageing Project which assessed dietary records of 1,489 people who were either retired or living in nursing homes.
That study looked into the potential links between diet and brain health, with results finding high-carotenoid intake correlated with a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Of those, the specific carotenoids linked to the reduced dementia risk were beta-carotene common to carrots, cataloupes, spinach and sweet potatoes; and lutein found in egg yolks, watercress and pistachio nuts.
Following up on this study, the 2023 research from Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine investigated the micronutrients found in brains donated to science by neuropathologist-diagnosed Alzheimer’s, along with brains that had been confirmed to be free of the disease.
Kathleen Dorey PhD, a researcher involved in the study, told Health that brains with confirmed Alzheimer’s had lower concentrations of carotenoids such as lycopene, zeaxanthin, lutein and vitamin E.
“This is the first report of carotenoid levels in confirmed Alzheimer’s disease brains,” she said.
“Carotenoids can help minimize the damage caused by normal brain metabolism, and a diet rich in lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene (as well as an overall healthy diet) may help keep our brain fit and functioning well."
Toby Amidor, a nutrition expert who authored Up Your Veggies: Flexitarian Recipes for the Whole Family, told Health: “With only 1 in 10 Americans meeting their vegetable needs, this study is just one more reason to add more vegetables to your diet.”
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Rachael Davis