Latest research reveals that a compound in carrots may reduce the risk of developing cancer. Researchers say they have found that falcarinol, a natural pesticide found in carrots, is the specific component that reduces the risk of developing cancer.
Falcarinol protects carrots from fungal diseases, such as licorice rot, which causes black spots on the roots during storage. Researchers suspected falcarinol is effective because it stimulates mechanisms in the body that fight cancer hence researchers investigated the compound after a previous study suggested it could prevent the development of cancer.Researchers divided 24 rats with pre-cancerous tumors into three groups and fed them different diets. After 18 weeks, rats who consumed carrots with their ordinary feed as well as rats who consumed falcarinol with their feed -- the same amount as contained in the carrots -- were one-third less likely to develop full-scale tumors than the rats in the control group.
In conclusion researchers say results of their research allows them to make a more qualitative assessment of the vegetables , rather than quantitative. However they say that they have to now find out how much falcarinol is actually needed to prevent the development of cancer .
