The belief that eating carrots enables one to see in the dark has circulated widely since the early twentieth century.
Commonly used to encourage children to eat their vegetables, many people become familiar with this idea at a young age and, as is often the case with urban legends, pass it along to the next generation without pausing to consider the truth of the statement.
Indeed, when one considers the potential for carrots to enhance night vision, there does not appear to be a great deal of self-evident proof that this is true. It is perhaps one of the best known urban legends but its history and veracity often elude even those who uphold it as fact. It is unusual then that this belief should continue to resonate within society when so little is known about it.
The earliest occurrence of this unusual belief emerged during the Second World War, when it was utilised by the British forces as a diversionary tactic. At the time, British RAF pilots relied on radar in order to fly at night, a fact then unknown to the Germans. In order to maintain the secrecy of this relatively new technology, the Allied forces perpetrated the rumour that RAF pilots owed their exemplary night vision to the vast amounts of carrots they were consuming. It has been suggested that the German forces readily accepted this revelation as their own folklore contained a similar myth. In being touted as fact and with a strong basis in existing myth, the urban legend that carrots allow one to see in the dark has been afforded a certain implication of truth.
The propensity for carrots to enhance night vision is not, however, wholly mythical. Most vegetables are saturated with vitamins and minerals which are essential for maintaining bodily health. In addition to small amounts of such daily essentials as calcium and sodium, carrots contain an unprecedented level of Vitamin A, which has been proven to be beneficial for eyesight as well as the health of the retina itself.
The orange colour of carrots is a result of pigments in the vegetable known as carotenoids. Beta-carotene is particularly abundant in carrots and is converted into Vitamin A by the body upon ingestion. Vitamin A specifically helps protect the eyes from night blindness resulting from vitamin deficiency. Night blindness, medically known as nyctalopia, occurs when the chemical substance rhodopsin, found in the retina, is unable to swiftly process the chemical changes brought about by contact with light. The retina requires vast amounts of Vitamin A in order to conduct these changes, meaning that even a slight deficiency can result in a degree of night blindness.
If left untreated, Vitamin A deficiency can lead to an array of eye disorders including dry eyes and even cataracts. A single carrot usually contains roughly 100% of an adult's recommended daily allowance, or RDA, of Vitamin A, so while the belief that carrots enable a preternatural ability to see in the night may find its origins in myth and deceit, it remains true that eating even one carrot a day will have a beneficial effect upon one's ability to see in the dark.
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