Trendy Rainbow Carrots Pack a Nutrient Punch

We're familiar with orange carrots at our local market, but would you be willing to eat purple, red or even white carrots?

Time reports that a new trend of colorful carrots is becoming popular in the United States, but what might surprise you is that these "new" varieties have been around for many years and are already widely eaten in other parts of the world like Central Asia and the Mediterranean. While their unusual colors might throw you off, there's good reason to give them a try. Geneticists have bred more nutrients in them, in an effort to improve American's nutritional intake.

Rainbow-hued carrots are as healthy as standard carrots, but their pigments can provide extra nutrients. For example, purple carrots include the pigment anthocyanin and have a boost in vitamin A, while the lycopene carotene in red carrots (which is also found in tomatoes) may reduce your risk of certain cancers.

Check out the slideshow above to discover more benefits of colorful carrots.

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