Remedies

Raw Carrot Salad: What it Can & Can’t do for Your Hormones + Gut

We investigate the claims that raw carrot salad can balance hormones and improve hormonal health.

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If you believe social media, a raw carrot salad can help you with everything from balancing your hormones to fixing your gut health.

With over 70 million views, the raw carrot salad is one of the health trends taking over TikTok. Users there call it their "hormonal balancing bestie". They say it’s helped them banish premenstrual stress and clear hormonal acne.

While the idea of a carrot salad is nothing new, the concept of using it to balance hormones comes from Ray Peat, a U.S. author and biologist. Peat shared dietary recommendations for better health on his site. He first wrote about the health benefits of a raw carrot salad several years ago and it’s steadily gained attention online since.

Of course, not all TikTok health trends are based on actual scientific evidence. The reality is this: TikTok, like other social media platforms, can be a source of misinformation. And that's particularly true for health and wellness.

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If you’re thinking about trying a raw carrot salad to balance your hormones, do your research and consult with a healthcare provider. They can help you figure out whether your symptoms signal an underlying condition. Working together, you'll be able to develop a plan to balance your hormones.

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In this post, we investigate the purported health benefits of raw carrot salad: what’s real, what works, and what isn’t backed up with supported evidence.

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Using a raw carrot salad for estrogen dominance and gut health

The key claims are that carrots contain a type of fiber that can improve digestion and reduce estrogen dominance.

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Estrogen dominance is when there's too much estrogen in your body relative to other hormones, such as progesterone. This can occur in both women and men, leading to various distressing symptoms.

Women with estrogen dominance may experience irregular periods, heavy menstrual bleeding, breast tenderness, mood swings, weight gain, and decreased sex drive.

In Ray Peat’s blog post, the author shares his experience with carrots, adding that women following a “carrot diet” reported lower estrogen levels:

“There are interesting associations between vegetable “fiber” and estrogens. Because of my own experience in finding that eating a raw carrot daily prevented my migraines, I began to suspect that the carrot fiber was having both a bowel-protective and an antiestrogen effect. Several women who suffered from premenstrual symptoms, including migraine, had their serum estrogen measured before and after the “carrot diet,” and they found that the carrot lowered their estrogen within a few days, as it relieved their symptoms.”

Peat explains how the fiber in carrots, and other vegetables, works to influence estrogen levels:

“Undigestible fiber, if it isn't broken down by bowel bacteria, increases fecal bulk, and tends to speed the transit of material through the intestine, just as laxatives do. But some of these “fiber” materials, e.g., lignin, are themselves estrogenic, and other fibers, by promoting bacterial growth, can promote the conversion of harmless substances into toxins and carcinogens.

“When there is a clear “antiestrogen” effect from dietary fiber, it seems to be the result of accelerated transit through the intestine, speeding elimination and preventing reabsorption of the estrogen which has been excreted in the bile. Laxatives have this same effect on the excretion of estradiol.”

Ray Peat’s blog says toxins can also increase estrogen. At the same time, foods stimulating intestinal peristalsis can delay menopause. Peristalsis is a series of involuntary muscle contractions that keep food moving through the body, and increased peristalsis equals more frequent bowel movements.

“Chronic constipation, and anxiety which decreases blood circulation in the intestine, can increase the liver's exposure to endotoxin. Endotoxin (like intense physical activity) causes the estrogen concentration of the blood to rise. Diets that speed intestinal peristalsis might be expected to postpone menopause.”

“Penicillin treatment, probably by lowering endotoxin production, is known to decrease estrogen and cortisone, while increasing progesterone. The same effect can be achieved by eating raw carrots (especially with coconut oil/olive oil dressing) every day, to reduce the amount of bacterial toxins absorbed, and to help in the excretion of estrogen.”

Apart from the raw carrot salad, Peat recommends enough exposure to sunlight to increase progesterone.

I tried the raw carrot salad a few years ago. My husband had been reading about Peat’s recommendations and suggested I give it a go. At the time, I had all the symptoms of estrogen dominance: irregular periods, mood swings, and more. I had no idea all of these problems were tied to my polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

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I’ll admit I didn’t stick with the raw carrot salad long enough to see any measurable results. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not discounting the carrot salad’s potential benefits. I just didn’t use it consistently. Eventually, I reversed my symptoms through a combination of diet, physical activity, and hormone balance supplements (4).

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Ahead, we dive into raw carrot salad’s benefits and frequently asked questions.

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Raw carrot salad benefits, according to science

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According to a large body of research, carrots offer several nutrients, proven health benefits, and plenty of fiber.

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It’s no wonder this vegetable features heavily in healthy diets, like the anti-inflammatory diet. Not only do carrots have an anti-aging effect, but they’re also protective against vision loss. Eating carrots regularly has been shown to improve thyroid function, reduce cancer risk, support better digestion, and protect gut health.

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Cooking carrots can affect their nutrient content, so eating them raw may provide the greatest health benefits. However, cooked carrots are still nutritious and can be a good addition to a healthy diet.

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Let’s check each of these benefits in greater detail.

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Promotes regular bowel movements

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Carrots contain insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber pulls water into your stool, making bowel movements easier, per Healthline. One raw carrot has about 2 grams of fiber, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.

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As the University of California San Francisco explains, insoluble fiber “helps speed up the transit of food in the digestive tract and helps prevent constipation.” A review of the research published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine explains that this fiber “increases fecal mass and accelerates colonic transit”.  

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One older study compared the estrogen levels between women who followed a high-fat, low-fiber diet and those who were eating a high-fiber, low-fat vegetarian diet. Researchers found women in the high-fiber group “excreted threefold more estrogen in their feces” and had lower estrogen levels. The authors of the study concluded that a high-fiber diet could help the body get rid of excess estrogen.

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Protects gut health

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Carrots are bursting with fiber and antioxidants that all contribute to better gut health.

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One study, published in the 2022 Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, investigated the effect of fermented carrot pulp on gut health. Researchers found carrot pulp could promote a healthy gut balance.

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And because they’re rich in antioxidants, carrots play a role in suppressing inflammation in the gut.

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Reduces cancer risk

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An analysis of the research suggests carrots are associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.

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Furthermore, carrots contain lutein, another compound that has been shown to have anti-cancer effects. A study suggests that lutein may prevent the growth of breast cancer cells, suggesting it could have a protective effect against the disease.

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Improves thyroid function

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Some evidence suggests that vitamin A, which is found in high concentrations in carrots, may play a role in maintaining healthy thyroid function.

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One review of the research, published in 2022 Frontiers in Endocrinology, found that Vitamin A could be used to treat thyroid disorders.

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But there's a catch. Too much vitamin A can harm thyroid function.

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In sum, while eating carrots and other vitamin A-rich foods can help support thyroid function, it's crucial to maintain a balance.

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Common questions about a raw carrot salad

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Many people have asked questions about the role of raw carrot salad in hormonal health. Here are the answers to the top questions.

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Do raw carrots detox estrogen?

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Here's the thing: no scientific evidence supports the claim that raw carrots can "detox" or reduce estrogen levels in the body.

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Some evidence suggests carrot “extracts may have (phyto)estrogenic activity…or be associated with estrogen metabolism”, according to an article in the 2019 Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.

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However, a more direct connection is that raw carrots are generally considered good for gut health thanks to their fiber content. Fiber, in turn, can help promote healthy digestion and regular bowel movements.

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And the gut plays an essential role in eliminating excess estrogen from the body. According to this study, the gut is one of the “principal regulators of circulating estrogen”. As Cleveland Clinic notes in this article, excess estrogen may be tied to a gut imbalance.

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In sum, a healthy gut microbiome can help regulate estrogen levels by promoting the metabolism and elimination of estrogen through regular bowel movements.

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Can carrots balance hormones?

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By supporting better gut health, carrots can play a role in balancing hormones. As mentioned earlier, carrots add fiber to your diet which may help you to flush out excess estrogen. However, carrots alone are not widely seen as a hormone-balancing cure.

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According to the International Journal of Women's Health, the gut is “involved in regulating free circulating hormone levels”. And as we’ve established, carrots are protective of gut health.

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That’s all to say, a raw carrot salad on its own is probably not going to fix a hormonal balance.

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Eating a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense whole foods can help support hormonal balance. For example, consuming enough protein, healthy fats, and fiber can help regulate insulin levels and support a healthy metabolism. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish and flaxseeds, can help reduce inflammation and maintain healthy hormone production.

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What’s Ray Peat’s raw carrot salad recipe?

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Ray Peat’s carrot salad is easy to prepare and can be a great addition to a healthy diet.

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Here's Ray Peat's carrot salad recipe:

  • 2-3 large carrots, grated
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil
  • Salt to taste

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Enjoy on its own or with a main course.

Optimise your hormonal health

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Incorporating a raw carrot salad into a diet is a great way to load up on fiber and other nutrients. Diet, after all, is a proven way to naturally balance hormones.

But eating raw carrot salad alone probably won’t solve several hormonal issues. A good rule of thumb is to be wary of easy fixes that seem too good to be true.

If you think you have estrogen dominance -  or any form of hormonal imbalance - speak to a healthcare professional. The only way to know for sure is to test your estrogen levels. Estrogen dominance may signal an underlying condition, like PCOS. So you want to get to the root of the problem and protect your health in the long term.

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References

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