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It has been said, and I know not by whom, that medicine in the future will be preventative rather than remedial, based on the best diet for our health, not on drugs. This article will explore this issue in relation to carrots. Please remember that carrots nourish the body—they do not heal it. If God built into our bodies the ability to heal themselves, He planned that we would use the ingredients found in the things that we eat to feed this healing process. Herbs do not heal, nor do they force the body to maintain and repair itself. They simply nourish and support the body in the functions that God created it to do from the beginning.
Medicinal Uses
Carrots have been credited with many medicinal properties. They are said to be cleansing for our intestinal tract and for flushing our urinary tract. They have been used for chronic coughs, dysentery, windy colic, chronic renal disease, as an antidiarrheal, for re-mineralizing, as an anti-anemic, and as an overall tonic. Carrots are rich in alkaline elements which will purify and revitalize the blood. They feed the entire system and help it maintain the acid-alkaline balance within the body. Carrots have also been attributed with the ability to aid good eyesight. Grated, raw carrots applied as a compress to burns have been known to cool and sooth the affected areas. Drinking carrot juice is highly energizing and is particularly beneficial to the liver.
Drinking an infusion of carrot seed is said to be useful as a diuretic, to help stimulate the appetite, reduce colic, relieve fluid retention, and is beneficial in ridding one of menstrual cramps. Making tea from the dried flowers has also been useful in treating edema. In ancient times carrot seed tea was used as a contraceptive.
Appling the leaves mixed with honey can be useful to cleanse wounds and running sores. Chewing a carrot immediately after meals will kill all harmful germs in the mouth, clean the teeth, remove any particles of food lodged between the teeth, and help prevent cavities and bleeding gums. Carrot soup has been thought to relieve diarrhea and help with tonsillitis.
In times past grated carrot was given to children to expel worms. Carrot pulp was placed on open wounds to help heal and prevent infection. Some have also said that carrots are able to improve memory and relieve nervous tension. An old English superstition says that the small purple flower in the center of the wild carrot (Queen Anne’s Lace) was useful for curing epilepsy.
Wild carrot tea has been used for kidney and bladder ailments, gout, edema, kidney and gall stones, and also obstructions of the intestines and colon. Carrots in one form or another were once served at every meal for liver dysfunction and disease.
Many common ailments can be relieved or greatly reduced by eating carrots, such as allergies, anemia, and arthritis. Tea made from carrot seeds has been used to promote the onset of menstruation. It has also been effective in treating some skin ailments, including broken veins/capillaries, bruises, burns, creeping impetigo, wrinkles, and sun damage. Carrots can aid in stimulating milk flow for nursing mothers. They have also been proven effective against roundworms and dandruff.
Pureed carrots are invaluable in babies with diarrhea, providing them with necessary nutrients and natural sugars. Scientists have also found a compound in carrots – falcarinol – that is effective in preventing the development of some cancers. Raw carrots are good for enhancing fertility and may overcome sterility with regular use as many causes of sterility are dietary in nature, caused by eating food in which the enzymes have been destroyed by pasteurizing.
Treatments:
Digestive Disorders: Chewing carrots increases saliva production and speeds up the digestive process, supplying the necessary enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Regular ingestion of carrots can prevent gastric ulcers and other digestive disorders. Carrot juice is a natural and effective treatment for maladies like intestinal colic, colitis, appendicitis, peptic ulcers, and indigestion.
Constipation: Carrot juice mixed with spinach juice and a little lemon juice is an effective treatment for constipation. The spinach juice cleanses the bowels. The effectiveness of this treatment must build up in the system and should reach full effectiveness in about two months’ time. The bowels will then be emptying regularly. The proper mixture is 2 ounces spinach juice to 10 ounces carrot juice and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
Diarrhea: Carrot soup is an effective, natural treatment for diarrhea, supplying the necessary fluid to fight against dehydration. It will help to rebuild the required sodium, potassium, calcium, sulphur, and magnesium needed by the body. It is also a good source of pectin and helps to coat the intestines to prevent inflammation. It will stop the growth of harmful bacteria and prevents vomiting. It is especially beneficial for use in children. Cook one pound of carrots in 6 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt until soft. Puree and give the patient two to three tablespoons every half hour. You will notice improvement within 24 hours.
Thread Worms: Carrots are beneficial in the elimination of thread worms as it is harmful in nature to all parasites. A small dish, ½ to ¾ of a cup grated carrot taken by itself each morning will quickly clear these worms.
Contraindications:
Excessive consumption of carrots, its juice and/or in its powdered form, and other carotene-rich foods can cause the skin to turn yellow or orange, especially in the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and behind the ears. Reducing the amounts ingested will allow this coloring to dissipate. The leaves of carrot plants have furocoumarins that may cause an allergic reaction known as contact dermatitis, especially when wet. Together with exposure to sunlight the sufferer may also experience a mild case of photo dermatitis. Wild carrot seed has also been used as an early abortifacient and historically was at times used as a natural “morning after” contraceptive tea. Queen Anne’s Lace has been used for this purpose for many, many years.
Please remember that this article is for general information purposes only, and not intended as medical advice. You should always consult a physician for health-related issues.
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