The carrot (Daucus carota) is a root vegetable often claimed to be the perfect health food.

It is crunchy, tasty, and highly nutritious. Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants.

They also have a number of health benefits. They’re a weight-loss-friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.

What’s more, their carotene antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer.

Carrots are found in many colors, including yellow, white, orange, red, and purple.

Orange carrots get their bright color from beta carotene, an antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A.

Carrots’ water content ranges from 86–95%, and the edible portion consists of around 10% carbs (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

Carrots contain very little fat and protein (3Trusted Source).

The nutrition facts for two small-to-medium raw carrots (100 grams) are:

    Calories: 41
    Water: 88%
    Protein: 0.9 grams
    Carbs: 9.6 grams
    Sugar: 4.7 grams
    Fiber: 2.8 grams
    Fat: 0.2 grams

Carbs

Carrots are mainly composed of water and carbs.

The carbs consist of starch and sugars, such as sucrose and glucose (1Trusted Source).

They are also a relatively good source of fiber, with one medium-sized carrot (61 grams) providing 2 grams.

Carrots often rank low on the glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar after a meal.

Their GI ranges from 16–60 — lowest for raw carrots, a little higher for cooked ones, and highest for puréed (4, 5Trusted Source).

Eating low-glycemic foods is linked to numerous health benefits and considered particularly beneficial for people with diabetes (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
Fiber

Pectin is the main form of soluble fiber in carrots (8).

Soluble fibers can lower blood sugar levels by slowing down your digestion of sugar and starch.

They can also feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, which may lead to improved health and decreased risk of disease (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

What’s more, certain soluble fibers can impair the absorption of cholesterol from your digestive tract, lowering blood cholesterol (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

The main insoluble fibers in carrots are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Insoluble fibers may reduce your risk of constipation and promote regular bowel movements (1Trusted Source, 14).

    SUMMARY

    Carrots are about 10% carbs, consisting of starch, fiber, and simple sugars. They are extremely low in fat and protein.