Vegetables & Health

[Guest guest]

What comes in all shapes, colors and sizes, can help prevent cancer, heart

disease and obesity? The answer is not some magic diet pill, but vegetables!

Yet half of all Americans eat no vegetables other than potatoes, beans or

salad. This variety is too limited. Here are some reasons why we should add

more vegetables to our diet.1. Vegetables are low in calories. About one-third

of the people in the United States are overweight. To lose weight, eat fewer

calories and increase your level of activity. Using vegetables in main dishes

and snacks can help you lose weight. 2. Vegetables are low in fat and have no

cholesterol. Americans eat too much fat. A high-fat diet raises your chance of

getting heart disease and some kinds of cancer. Vegetables, on the other hand,

are very low in the kind of fat linked to heart disease. Many foods from

animals contain cholesterol. Eating these animal products may increase the

cholesterol in your blood and raise your risk of heart disease. Since

vegetables contain no cholesterol, eating them can help prevent this killer

disease.

3. Vegetables are low in sodium.Sodium is found in salt and many other foods.

Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure in some people. Fresh vegetables

contain very little sodium. In general, frozen vegetables have more sodium than

fresh vegetables do, and canned vegetables have even higher levels. Check food

labels to find foods with the lowest amount of sodium.

4. Vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals.Dark green and orange vegetables

help protect against cancer of the throat and lungs. These vegetables contain

beta-carotene, a pigment which is turned into vitamin A by the body. Foods high

in beta-carotene can help prevent cancer. This group of vegetables includes

carrots, winter squash, spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes and kale.,

cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and collard greeMany

vegetables are also high in vitamin C, and can help prevent cancer of the

throat and stomach. Those rich in vitamin C include peppers, cabbagens.Some

vegetables are very good sources of the mineral iron. Iron is needed to build

blood and provide energy. Too little iron in the diet can cause anemia.

Iron is highest in spinach, peas, lima beans, black-eyed peas, beet greens and

whole potatoes. Dark green vegetables, such as spinach, mustard greens,

broccoli, and cabbage, are high in calcium. Calcium is needed for healthy bones

and teeth, and can help prevent the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.

5. Vegetables in the cabbage and mustard family have extra health

value.vegetables can help lower the risk of colon, stomach and lung cancer.

6. Vegetables are high in fiber.This family of vegetables includes cabbage,

broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and mustard greens. These

vegetables are called cruciferous because their flowers resemble a cross. These

Fiber is the part of plants that cannot be digested or absorbed by the body. A

high-fiber diet may protect against colon cancer. All vegetables are sources of

fiber. It is best to get fiber from food, rather than taking pills or other

supplements. Too much fiber can make it harder for your body to absorb many

nutrients, such as iron..

Dr.Anantha

Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'