Don’t be a silly rabbit. Know the real facts and fiction when it comes to carrots. According to Britain's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, wild rabbits don't eat carrots, and they should only be an occasional treat for pets. 

The entire connection between bunnies and carrots can be traced back to the debut of Bugs Bunny in 1940. His carrot crunching was intended as a parody of Clark Gable in the 1934 comedy, "It Happened One Night.” Bugs Bunny took on characteristics of Clark Gable’s character in the film, including an iconic carrot-eating scene. “It Happened One Night” was the first film to win all “Big Five” Oscars, including best Actor and Best Actress.

Carrots deserve an Oscar for their wide ranging health benefits. These tubers provide a host of nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin K and potassium. Carrots are bountiful in  vitamin A, which supports the immune system, heart, lungs and eye health. "Vitamin A is essential for vision, especially at night," said Sherry Tanumihardjo, who is a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.

Vitamin A comes in two forms. Preformed vitamin A can be found in animal products, such as dairy products and organ meats. Taken in excess, as in supplements, preformed vitamin A can become toxic. The other form, provitamin A, is derived from plant-based chemicals called carotenoids. Not all carotenoids can be converted to vitamin A, but orange carrots are full of some that do, such as alpha and beta carotene. "It's a safer way to get vitamin A because your body regulates it," said Tanumihardjo 

One regular raw carrot, weighing about 2 ounces (60 grams), has about 25 calories, and provides nearly 72% of the vitamin A an adult woman needs, and about 56% of an adult man's daily needs. Carrots also have heart-healthy fiber. According to the USDA, one regular raw carrot provides 1.7 grams. Federal dietary guidelines say an adult needs 22 to 34 grams a day, depending on age and sex. Tanumihardjo said the nutrients in carrots are available fresh or frozen, raw or cooked. However, cooking breaks down the cell walls releasing compounds that help sweeten carrots a bit. Some studies have shown that cooking increases levels of available carotenoids.

Carrots have been around for a long time. It is hypothesized that they originated in central Asia, possibly Afghanistan. Researchers say that by the Middle Ages, purple and white varieties were domesticated as far west as England, but the orange carrot didn't become common until the 15th century in Europe.

In the carrot world, colors are trending, and as colors vary, so do nutrients. Purple carrots get their hue from anthocyanins, which have been linked to healthy gut biomes, improved cognition, and better heart health. Yellow carrots provide lutein, which helps vision and brain health. Red carrots contain lycopene, which also is found in red tomatoes and watermelon. High lycopene  intake has been associated with a lower risk of a stroke.

Tanumihardjo said it is best to have some fat with carrots. It helps the body better absorb the nutritions." It will just pass right on through the body," said Tanumihardjo. "If you eat carrots in a salad and you have salad dressing, then you will absorb more. If you eat carrots in a stew, and you don't overcook them too much, and there's fat in the stew, you will absorb even more." 

The same goes for carrot juice. Juicing breaks cell membranes and helps make carotenoids more accessible, "but you do have to make sure you have a little bit of fat within the same time you're drinking the juice in order to absorb the most nutrients,” said Tanumihardjo.

In June 2024, a study was released that found eating a snack of baby carrots just three times a week significantly increased skin carotenoids in young adults. Levels of these phytonutrients were boosted even more when this healthy snack was combined with a multivitamin containing the carotenoid beta carotene.

Carotenoids, which are responsible for the bright red, orange and yellow colors of many fruits and vegetables, can be measured in the skin to gauge fruit and vegetable consumption.  Diet is the only source of these pigments. Higher levels of skin carotenoids are associated with increased antioxidant protection and a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers. This marker also reflects improved skin health and immune function.

“Previous studies have demonstrated that skin carotenoid levels can be increased by consuming three times the recommended serving of fruits and vegetables every day for three weeks,” said Mary Harper Simmons, with Samford University in Homewood, Alabama. “Our findings suggest that a small, simple dietary modification, incorporating baby carrots as a snack, can significantly increase skin carotenoid accumulation.”

For the study, Simmons and her team randomly assigned 60 young adults to groups that received a four-week intervention of either Granny Smith apple slices (control), 100 grams (about half a cup) of baby carrots, a multivitamin supplement containing beta carotene or a combination of baby carrots and the supplement. Before and after the intervention, the researchers used a noninvasive research-grade spectroscopy instrument called a VeggieMeter to detect and quantify carotenoids in the skin of the study participants. 

The researchers found that compared to pre-intervention levels, skin carotenoid scores were significantly increased by 10.8% in the group receiving the baby carrots and by 21.6% in the group receiving the carrots and the supplement. Skin carotenoid levels were not changed in the control group or in those receiving only the supplement. “We found that the combination of baby carrots and a multivitamin supplement that contains beta carotene can have an interactive effect on skin carotenoid accumulation,” said Simmons. 

John Schieszer is an award-winning national journalist and radio and podcast broadcaster of The Medical Minute. He can be reached at medicalminutes@gmail.com