Arizona State University – Digital Media Class

I love eating carrots with Ranch dressing. 

Carrots are considered a healthy vegetable. Carrots are rich in Vitamin A, Fiber, Antioxidants, Potassium, and Vitamin C.  Carrots are low in calories.  A half a cup of carrots is only 25 calories! Carrots can be eaten raw or cooked. Carrots are great as a snack!

The most common color of carrots is orange.

Recently, a friend saw me eating carrots and warned me that I better be careful because carrots can turn your skin orange. Orange, I asked? I did not believe him, so I decided to see if his statement was true or if it was misinformation. Perhaps he had misunderstood what he heard about carrots?

So, I began my search for the truth. As I learned in my MCO 427 Misinformation and Society class at Arizona State University, it is important to verify information. There is a lot of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. It is important to use sources that are reliable. My search included medical organizations such as the Cleveland Clinic and WebMD, universities such as University of Arkansas for Medical Science, encyclopedias such as Britannica, and government organizations such as USDA and the Michigan Fitness Foundation in the state of Michigan.

I learned that carrots contain beta carotene. Beta carotene is a carotenoid or pigment that is found in plants. Carrots are considered root plants since they grow in the ground. Beta carotene is what provides carrots with color. I learned that eating too many carrots can temporarily discolor your skin. The condition is called carotenemia. I was happy to learn that carotenemia is not toxic, does not cause other health conditions, and is reversible.

How many carrots can I eat before my skin turns orange? According to the Cleveland Clinic, a person needs to eat about 40-50 milligrams of beta-carotenes per day for a approximate 1 month before there is any skin discoloration. How many beta-carotenes does a carrot contain? The Cleveland Clinic indicated that “one medium carrot has about 4 milligrams of beta carotene in it.” Since I usually eat “baby” carrots or carrot chips, I estimated that 4 “baby” carrots equal one medium size carrot. Based on my assumption, I can eat 40 “baby” carrots before I need to worry about my skin showing orange pigments. I would also need to eat 40 “baby” carrots every day for 1 month. While I enjoy carrots, I do not eat carrots every day.

 

Another way to calculate how many carrots are safe to eat before affecting your skin pigment is to determine how many carrots comprise a ½ cup. A ½ cup of carrots is equivalent to 40-50 milligrams of beta-carotenes. According to the Michigan Nutrition Network, an easy way to calculate ½ cup is the amount of one cupped handful.

By checking different reliable sources, I learned that it is true that eating too many carrots can turn your skin orange. My reliable sources included medical organizations, universities, encyclopedias, and government agencies. Many of these organizations have fact-checkers who verify all information before it is released or posted under the organization’s name.

Sources that I did not use included Quora , Reddit ,X, TikTok, Instagram, and You Tube. While some of the information on these websites is valid, many times the information is based on opinions and not valid research.

It is important to verify information. Through my review, I was able to use lateral reading which means that as I read an article about carrots and beta-carotene, I would stop and check for additional information to evaluate the credibility of the article I was reading. Believing a false claim could have serious consequences.

Enjoy eating your carrot snack!

References

“Can Eating Too Many Carrots Turn Your Skin Orange?” Cleveland Clinic. June 12, 2019. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-eating-too-many-carrots-turn-your-skin-orange

“Harvest of the Month” Michigan Nutrition Network at Michigan Fitness Foundation. https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/mde/2012/10/12/2011CarrotsMenu_hires.pdf?rev=a2c6458058ea4a5f8cce273ac094f74a#:~:text=*Vitamin%20A%20Champions%20are%20an,be%20healthy%20and%20grow%20strong.&text=**If%20you%20are%20active,choosemyplate.gov%20to%20learn%20more.&text=Protect%20seeds;%20help%20seeds%20disperse.&text=Help%20leaves%20get%20sunlight;%20move%20water%20and%20nutrients.&text=Anchor%20and%20support%20plants;%20absorb%20water%20and%20nutrients.&text=Make%20food%20through%20photosynthesis.&text=Produce%20seeds;%20attract%20birds%2C%20insects%2C%20and%20other%20pollinators.&text=Produce%20new%20plants;%20provide%20food%20for%20young%20plants.&text=Funded%20by%20USDA%20Supplemental%20Nutrition,(855)%20ASK%2DMICH

Nelson, Angela, Frances Gatta, Kim Painter, and Amy Gopal. “How Nutritious Are Carrots,” WebMD https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/benefits-carrots

Petruzzello, Melissa “Can Eating Too Many Carrots Make Your Skin Turn Orange” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/can-eating-too-many-carrots-make-your-skin-turn-orange UAMS Health, “If You Eat Too Many Carrots, Will Your Skin Turn Orange” UAMS Health. https://uamshealth.com/medical-myths/if-you-eat-too-many-carrots-will-your-skin-turn-orange/