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© CLARA MOLDEN Scientists have found that cutting a carrot after boiling could boost the amount of a natural sugar called falcarinol in the vegetables by a quarter
The anti-cancer properties of carrots could be increased by cooking them whole, a new study by Newcastle University suggests.

Scientists at the university found that cutting a carrot after boiling could boost the amount of a natural sugar called falcarinol in the vegetables by a quarter.

However, if the carrots were chopped up first they lost the extra benefit.

"Chopping up your carrots increases the surface area so more of the nutrients leach out into the water while they are being cooked," said Dr Kirsten Brandt, one of the co-authors of the study.

"By cooking them whole and chopping them up after wards you are locking in both taste and nutrients so the carrot is better for you all round.

"We all want to try to improve our health and diet by getting the right nutrients and eating our five-a-day.

"The great thing about this is it's a simple way for people to increase their uptake of a compound we know is good for you, all you need is a bigger saucepan."

Studies in rats have suggested that falcarinol could have natural anti-cancer properties.

Feeding the animals on a diet of carrots or of falcarinol on its own made them a third less likely to develop full-scale tumors, the study found.