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fruit and vegetables
fruit and vegetables
do a body good
"Eat your vegetables." Kids hear their parents say this all the time. Now it's time for adults to follow their own advice. These three words- eat your vegetables- it suppprts health. Scientists have proved that your parents were right. Eat your fruits and vegetables. You’ll enjoy your meals, feel better and reduce your risk for heart disease!
Why should you eat fruits and vegetables?
Because you will feel better.
Diet books and plans with miraculous claims abound, topping bestseller lists with striking regularity. While every diet claims to be best for both weight loss and good health, nearly all of them share a common feature: a focus on fresh fruits and vegetables over processed foods.
When it comes to achieving good health and lower risk for certain chronic disease, fresh fruits and vegetables are your number one dietary strategy. Studies suggest the more fruits and vegetables in one’s diets, the better. Or what we call a “dose-response effect.”
The most important health benefit of fruit and vegetable consumption is a reduction in your risk of cardiovascular disease. Specifically, eating fruits and vegetables along with a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol reduces your risk of coronary heart disease. In addition, some studies suggest that a low fat diet with increased consumption of fruits and vegetables might reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. And, of course, substituting high fiber fruits and vegetables for calorie-dense processed foods helps with weight loss.
How do fruits and vegetables support health?
Fruits and vegetables contain biologically active chemicals.
Fruits and vegetables act via a wide variety of mechanisms. Fiber lowers LDL-cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) while antioxidants and polyphenols in fruits and vegetables contribute to arterial health. These benefits come from the combination of biologically active chemicals that you can get only by consuming the whole food. This means that you can’t replace your apple or serving of broccoli with a supplement or pill.
How much do you need?
Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Learn how to build a better plate more veggies with this easy to use graphic.
In general, the health benefit levels off at about five servings per day, meaning that you should aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Rather than troubling yourself with trying to figure out the precise definition of “a serving,” we recommend an easier approach. At each meal, fill half of your plate for fruits and vegetables. With endless choices, this strategy ensures a wide variety of tasty and interesting meals.
Which fruits and vegetables are best?
They're almost all good. Check out a list of fruits and vegetables so that you can get a good variety in your diet.
As you choose your fruits and vegetables, aim to eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, as they each contain varied nutrients—choose according to your taste, but go easy on potatoes. While some studies suggest that cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy and others) are healthiest, the scientific evidence suggests a beneficial class effect for all fruits and vegetables.
Preparation matters. Avoid fried vegetables and vegetables accompanied by heavy sauces. You can eat your vegetables raw or cooked, but if you cook them use the minimum amount of water possible to avoid losing important vitamins and minerals. Microwaving vegetables is a good approach as it uses very little water.