The anti-cancer properties of carrots are more potent if the vegetable is not cut up before cooking. Scientists found that carrots cooked before being cut contained 25 percent more of the anti-cancer compound falcarinol than those chopped up first.
Experiments have shown that rats fed falcarinol develop fewer tumors.
Chopping up your carrots increases their surface area, so more of the nutrients leach out into the water while they are being cooked. Blind taste studies also found that the whole carrots tasted much better.