Today many around the world take part in Easter celebrations. For practicing Christians, Easter Sunday and the days leading up to it mark a holy time full of religious traditions and prayers commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus. However, many others associate Easter with secular symbols (think brightly colored eggs and chocolate bunnies) that have nothing to do with today's solemn religious celebrations.
One of the most prominent Easter characters is inevitably the Easter Bunny. The Easter version of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, visits the homes of sleeping children hiding baskets full of chocolate and jellybeans for Easter morning. From what I’ve learned at Church, no Easter Bunny (or any similar character) witnessed the resurrection or showed up anywhere in the Bible. So, how did the lovable rabbit become a hallmark of the holiday?
The initial connection between Easter and the magical bunny remains unclear. One origin story points to German immigrants who brought traditions of an egg-laying hare to America in the 1700s. The children would build nests to provide a spot for the “Osterhase” to lay decorated eggs. Eventually, these nests may have evolved into the baskets of tasty treats we know today.
While we may not know exactly how he arrived in American culture, the Easter Bunny shows up to help us welcome Spring each year. Worried that he might get hungry hopping around to deliver all his goodies, children leave the Easter Bunny his favorite snack, carrots. Lucky for us, eggs aren’t the only gift the Easter bunny is bringing this year- his diet can teach us an important lesson!
Epidemiological analysis has linked carrots to the prevention of various types of cancer. For example, one study showed that eating just two to four carrots a week reduced colorectal cancer risk by 17%. Another study demonstrated a 21% decrease in breast cancer risk in women with a high carrot intake. Additional data shows that carrot consumption protects against prostate, gastric, and lung cancers.
The association between carrots and cancer risk may seem exciting, especially for those who love the crunchy orange (black, red, purple, or yellow) snack. So, how do carrots facilitate these protective properties? Scientists think the key lies in the antioxidants packed into every serving of carrots. As cells replicate and age, they can accumulate damage which, if left unchecked, can lead to cancer. Antioxidants, including both natural and manufactured substances, can protect cells from damage.
One prominent class of antioxidants, carotenoids , exists in almost all carrot varieties. Carotenoids facilitate pigmentation, so each color variety of carrots could utilize a different antioxidant pathway to protect against cancer. Orange carrots have high levels of β-carotene, a precursor the body uses to produce vitamin A. Yellow carrots contain the carotenoid lutein, which can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Similarly, the carotenoids lycopene, present in red carrots, and anthocyanin, present in purple carrots, have beneficial effects in cancer prevention and treatment.
Take a cue from the Easter Bunny and grab a crunchy snack today. You never know- a carrot a day might just keep the (cancer) doctor away!
Sources: Nutrients (2020), Medicine, Eur J Nutr, J Gastric Cancer, Nutrients (2023), Foods, Molecules, Nutrients (2022), Br J Pharmacol