World War II pilots ate a bunch of carrots. Back then, people were well aware that vitamin A was critical for healthy eyesight and that carrots were a good source of beta-carotene. So in 1940, versions of high-carotene strains of carrots were being tested on pilots to reduce night blindness. This was pretty important at the time because during the 1940 Blitzkrieg, the Luftwaffe often struck under the cover of darkness. The British government issued citywide blackouts to make it more difficult for German planes to hit targets, so maximising vision among pilots and civilians was critical. 

 

The year before, the RAF had built the new secret Airborne Interception Radar (aka AI). Instead of being limited to land-bound detection stations, the AI Radar was on planes, able to pinpoint enemy bombers before they even reached the English Channel. 

 

In 1940, RAF night fighter, John Cunningham, became the first pilot to shoot down an enemy plane using AI. He eventually tallied 20 kills - 19 of them at night - and became known as “cat eye” Cunningham. But, the Poms needed to make sure the Germans didn’t know about the secret of their success. So, the UK Ministry of Food came up with a different reason: Carrots. 

 

Make the Germans think that carrots gave Cunningham night vision.. And just don’t mention the little Airborne Interception Radar that he had on his plane.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Debunking Food Myths: Bread Crusts and Apples

02:16 The Spinach Iron Myth

04:32 Carrots and Night Vision

06:55 Ancient Egyptian cure: Liver Juice in the Eyes

09:17 Carrot Man Can’t Poop

13:19 WWII Airborne Interception Radar

16:49 Dig for Victory Campaign

19:59 Dr. Carrot and Wartime Propaganda

23:41 The Wholesome Verdict

29:01 What’s Next on The Wholesome Show

PREVIOUS EPISODES MENTIONED:

Arctic Cold Case Solved: Who Was First To The North Pole?

 

SOURCES:

• - Fact or Fiction?: Carrots Improve Your Vision | Scientific American
• A WWII Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Myth That Carrots Help You See in the Dark K. Annabelle Smith August 13, 2013
• https://web.archive.org/web/20220519172618/http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/ww2seeinthedark.html 
• Carrots and Night Vision - WW2 Copyright 1996-2022 World Carrot Museum. 
• The Myth About Carrots and Vision Started to Foil Nazis - The Atlantic By Ed Yong November 13, 2015
• Do carrots really help you see in the dark? - BBC Science Focus Magazine
• What's so super about superfoods? by Cecilia Duong 26 September 2022
• The True Science of Spinach and What the Popeye Mythology Teaches Us about How Error Spreads – The Marginalian
• An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away — Fact or Fiction?
• Carrot man: a case of excessive beta-carotene ingestion

Int J Eat Disord. 2012 Sep;45(6):816-8  doi: 10.1002/eat.22015.Epub 2012 Mar 19.

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