Do Carrots Improve Night Vision?
Since the dawn of time (or the 1940s), parents have been telling their children to eat their carrots so they can see at night. I ate all of the carrots on my plate, and I can barely see during the day, never mind the night! However, before I sue my parents, let’s do a little investigation. Do carrots actually improve our night vision, or do I sue my parents?
Firstly, we need to find out where this “law” comes from. Surprisingly, the good ole Brits started carrot-gate via World War II propaganda. The RAF sent out men posing as fighter pilots on the London Underground (fooling the German spies) suggesting to their friends that their superior night-flying ability was due to the abundance of carrots they were consuming (Pease, 2010). Since the “pilots” skin was yellow and orange, the German spies had no reason to disbelieve what they were hearing. In reality, the British had superior radar systems they wanted to keep under wraps for as long as possible. Naturally, word spread about the power of carrots, increasing the nation’s carrot consumption during the Blitz when blackouts were a regular occurrence.
Food supplies were also a concern, so rationing was implemented to control food supplies. The nation was encouraged to grow its own fruit and vegetables. Enter the humble carrot; not only can you “improve your night vision during blackouts” but you’re also saving the country’s food supply by growing your own vegetables! It’s a win-win situation.
That’s fantastic, but do carrots improve your night vision?
According to a food database provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), carrots have an abundance of beta-carotene (8280 µg per 100g). Beta-carotene (actually named after carrots) converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A is the name of a group of fat-soluble vitamins, which are associated with promoting good eyesight (Precision Nutrition, 2014). A study by Norsa et al. (2019) found that vision can be impaired by a deficiency in vitamin A. Moreover, a study conducted on the older population found carrot intake may help protect against poor night vision but does not reverse the effects of degenerative eye disease (Smith & Lazarus, 1999).
So, what do I take away from my research? The British military was very clever. Also, carrots do not work miracles, but they are, indeed, helpful for eye health. I will go further to say that beta-carotene is helpful for eye health, and we should eat a variety of those foods (e.g., carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin). However, unless you are deficient in vitamin A, you will not see a difference in your night vision.
Since I love carrots, I won’t sue my parents.
References
Norsa, Zazzeron, L., Cuomo, M., Claut, L., Bulfamante, A. M. C., Biffi, A., & Colombo, C. (2019). Night blindness in cystic fibrosis: The key role of vitamin A in the digestive system. Nutrients, 11(8), 1876. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081876
Pease, B. (2010). What’s all this carrot juice stuff, anyhow? Electronic Design, 58(5), 72–72.
Precision Nutrition. (2014) Precision nutrition’s encyclopedia of food: carrots, https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/carrots
Precision Nutrition. (2014) Precision nutrition’s encyclopedia of food: vitamin a, https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/vitamin-a
Smith, Mitchell, P., & Lazarus, R. (1999). Carrots, carotene and seeing in the dark. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Ophthalmology, 27(3–4), 200–203. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1606.1999.00187.x
U.S Department of Agriculture. (2019, January, 4). FoodData central: carrots, raw, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170393/nutrients