Carrots
<p>The <b >carrot</b> (<i ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daucus_carota" title="Daucus carota" >Daucus carota</a></i> subsp. <i >sativus</i>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology" title="Etymology" >Etymology</a>: from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Latin" title="Late Latin" >Late Latin</a> <i >carōta</i>, from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language" >Greek</a>καρότον <i >karōton</i>, originally from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proto-Indo-European_language" title="Proto-Indo-European language" >Indo-European</a> root <i >ker-</i> (horn), due to its horn-like shape) is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_vegetable" title="Root vegetable" class="mw-redirect" >root vegetable</a>, usually <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_(colour)" title="Orange (colour)" >orange</a> in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh. The most commonly eaten part of a carrot is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taproot" title="Taproot" >taproot</a>, although the greens are edible as well. It is a domesticated form of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_carrot" title="Wild carrot" class="mw-redirect" >wild carrot</a> <i >Daucus carota</i>, native to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe" title="Europe" >Europe</a> and southwestern <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia" title="Asia" >Asia</a>. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged and more palatable, less woody-textured edible taproot.</p>
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The carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotene" title="Carotene" >β-carotene</a>, which is partly metabolised into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A" title="Vitamin A" >vitamin A</a> in humans.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot#cite_note-12" >[13]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot#cite_note-13" >[14]</a></sup> Massive overconsumption of carrots can cause <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenosis" title="Carotenosis" >carotenosis</a>, a benign condition in which the skin turns orange. Carrots are also rich in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fibre" title="Dietary fibre" class="mw-redirect" >dietary fibre</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant" title="Antioxidant" >antioxidants</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_mineral" title="Dietary mineral" >minerals</a>.</p>
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Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and vision can be restored by adding it back into the diet. </p>
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An <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend" title="Urban legend" >urban legend</a> says eating large amounts of carrots will allow one to see in the dark. The legend developed from stories of British gunners in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II" >World War II</a>, who were able to shoot down German planes in the darkness of night. The legend arose during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain" title="Battle of Britain" >Battle of Britain</a> when the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF" title="RAF" class="mw-redirect" >RAF</a> circulated a story about their pilots' carrot consumption as an attempt to cover up the discovery and effective use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar" title="Radar" >radar</a>technologies in engaging enemy planes, as well as the use of red light (which does not destroy night vision) in aircraft instruments.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot#cite_note-14" >[15]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot#cite_note-15" >[16]</a></sup> It reinforced existing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany" title="Germany" >German</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folklore" title="Folklore" >folklore</a> and helped to encourage Britons—looking to improve their night vision during the blackouts—to grow and eat the vegetable. </p>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnomedical" title="Ethnomedical" class="mw-redirect" >Ethnomedically</a>, the roots are used to treat digestive problems, intestinal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasite" title="Parasite" class="mw-redirect" >parasites</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillitis" title="Tonsillitis" >tonsillitis</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constipation" title="Constipation" >constipation</a>.</p>
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