Health Benefits

Powerful, Super Health Benefits of Eating
4 to 5 Servings of Vegetables Daily


The well-established health benefits of vegetables
has public health experts, nutritionists, federal health
researchers, farmers and food industry executives,
teachers and physicians to encourage more regular
vegetable consumption.

However, last month the national Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention reported that Americans have
fallen far short of the goals set a decade ago to increase
consumption of vegetables. In 2009, only 26 percent of
adults had three or more servings a day. That was half
the percentage public health officials had hoped for.

The current recommendations...
At least four to five vegetable servings daily. A serving is
half a cup of cut-up or cooked vegetables, one cup of fresh
greens, half a cup of cooked dried beans, or at least six
ounces of freshly- prepared vegetable juice.

Alarming new public health data reports a society where
obesity is ballooning out of control.

Curbing weight gain can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes,
now rampant in America and an important cause of heart
disease, kidney failure and premature death.

Dietary Fiber, Potassium and So Much More...
Vegetables are richly-loaded with vital nutrients:
potassium, beta-carotene (nutritive precursor of vitamin A),
magnesium, calcium, iron, folate ( B vitamin) and vitamins C,
E and K, as well as antioxidants and fiber.

Vegetables provide dietary bulk, filling the stomach and
reducing the appetite for higher-calorie foods. The fiber
in vegetables helps reduce blood levels of heart-damaging
cholesterol and is the natural solution for preventing
constipation and diverticulosis.

The potassium in tomatos, legumes, beans, sweet
potatoes, pumpkin, spinach and different varieties of
squash can reduce high blood pressure, a major risk
factor for heart disease and stroke, and may also reduce
the risk of developing kidney stones and bone loss.

Folate is a critical nutrient during pregnancy to prevent
spinal cord defects; This essential B vitamint also helps
the body form red blood cells. Vitamin E, an antioxidant,
works in synergy with essential fatty acids and protects
against premature cell aging; and vitamin C is important
for healthy gums and teeth, healing of wounds and
absorption of iron. Vitamin K aids in blood clotting.That
is why It is important to caution people taking prescription
blood thinners to curb their intake of foods rich in Vitamin K.

The vitamin A formed from beta-carotene is vital to the
health of the eyes and skin and may help prevent infections.
A Harvard study of 73,000 nurses, published in 2003 in
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, linked a
carotenoid-rich diet to a reduced risk of coronary artery
disease, and a recent Swedish study found that it cut the
risk of stomach cancer in half.

Two other vegetable-source carotenoids, lutein and
zeaxanthin, can reduce the risks of macular degeneration
and cataracts, common causes of vision loss as people age.
These protective nutrients are found in dark green leafy
vegetables, like spinach and kale, which are loaded with
other valuable vitamins and minerals.

Lycopene, another carotenoid, may reduce the risk of
prostate cancer and was also linked to a reduced risk
of cardiovascular disease in women. Lycopene is best
obtained from processed tomato products including tomato
sauce, ketchup products, etc. Several other cruciferous
vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collard
greens and brussels sprouts.

Include vegetables supplying allum and quercetin, including
onions and garlic, that researchers in Milan have linked to
protection against cancers of the colon and rectum, ovary,
prostate, breast, kidney, esophagus, mouth and throat.

Last year The Nutrition Action Health letter ranked
vegetables according to nutrient content. Kale led the list,
followed by spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, Swiss
chard, canned pumpkin, mustard greens, sweet potato,
broccoli and carrots.Oher super-nutrient vegetables listed
were romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, curly endive, brussels
sprouts, butternut squash, green pepper, peas and bok choy.
You'll also be pleased to note... Most of these (when
unadorned by butter, saturated fat) have more than
40 calories a serving. The majority have only 20 or
30 calories.

It's no surprise health experts urge people to eat at least
4 to 5 servings of vegetables daily. It's the most effective
and most economical way to keeping people healthier
and easing society's burden of runaway health care costs.