Ever had that friend who swears by the healing power of some random food item and you just roll your eyes? Well, roll no more, because there's a new health superhero strutting the grocery aisle, and its name is Carrot.

Big Pharma might not want you to know this, but stuffing your face – or glass – with carrots can punch high blood pressure right in the face. Heart disease, stroke, heart attack – what a drag, right? Bunch of studies say that if you want to avoid these bad boys, you might want to make nice with beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gives carrots their sexy, orange color. And guess what? It's good for managing high blood pressure and reducing heart disease risk.

But, there's a catch! Stuffing yourself with carrots doesn't mean you'll sweat beta carotene and drop that heart attack risk to zero. Spoiler, the health benefits kick in when carrots – and other fresh fruits and veggies – boogie on your plate at least four times a week. The folks who treated their body to this carrot party had fewer instances of hypertension than those who stuck to monthly cameos.

Carrot juice, too, has the brilliance of healthy control freak. It’s been found effective in controlling cholesterol in adults with hypertension, improving blood pressure, and reducing "the bad kind" LDL cholesterol and these fat thingies called triglycerides. Some smooth operator called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which loves to hang out with carrots, fruit, and whole grains, can also help manage blood pressure in those with high and healthy blood pressure.

On a 2,000-calorie diet, current recommendations are that adults should consume around 2.5 cups of vegetables a day. If you're a carrot-holic, this means two medium carrots, about 12 baby carrots, or one cup of carrot juice. Studies have shown that you can take this up a notch – way up – to 800 grams or 6¼ cups, of carrots per day, or in liquid form, 16 oz of carrot juice.

Now, just a small yellow - or rather orange - warning flag. Stuffing your face with excessive amounts of carrots can lead to a cute little case of carotenemia - a harmless, reversible condition that paints your skin, mostly your feet or palms, in shades of orange or yellow. It's not dangerous, but keep your beta-carotene through the roof, and you'll look like you've become a member of the Oompa Loompa tribe.

The takeaway? Treat yourself to a hearty helping of carrots. Use them as a tool in your battle against high blood pressure, but remember, balance is key. No need to overdo it and turn into an orange.