There is no doubt that fruits and vegetables are nutritious foods and they supply most of the vitamins and minerals needed by our bodies. They are also high in fiber content. There is no one single super food within these two categories, but there are many healthful options that make these foods extremely important to our diet.
Fiber
Fiber is the non-digestible part of food that is reported to have benefits for the digestive system, weight management, cardiovascular health, and prevention of some cancers.
A few of the best fruit and vegetable sources containing fiber are legumes, beans, berries, apples and dried plums.
Soluble fiber forms a gel when it is in contact with water and is helpful for cardiovascular health. This type of fiber is in apples, legumes, broccoli, pears, Brussels sprouts and peaches. Insoluble fiber is a non-digestible component of other fruits and vegetables that helps food pass through the intestines.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, long known to play a role in vision, is found in many dark green and yellow to orange fruits and vegetables. This fat-soluble vitamin also helps maintain tissues and mucus membranes. Food sources include carrots, spinach, greens, broccoli, mango, papaya and pumpkin.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin important for healing and support of tissues, cells, and the immune system. Some sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, cantaloupe, bell peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, mango, greens and strawberries.
Potassium
Potassium helps regulate heart rate, muscle contractions and maintains the body's acid-base balance. The best food sources are bananas, winter squash, apricots, tomatoes, oranges, cantaloupe, lentils, potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of three essential nutrients and are the main energy source for the body. All fruits and vegetables contain carbohydrates. For most fruits,1/2 cup has 15 grams of carbohydrate. For most non-starchy vegetables, 1/2 cup has 5 grams of carbohydrates. The same serving size of starchy vegetables usually contains 15 grams
Antioxidants
Free radicals are potentially harmful byproducts made by the body in response to stress and toxins from the environment. Antioxidants help the body by attacking the free radicals. The antioxidant nutrients are vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium, beta carotene, lutein and lycopene.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are natural plant compounds that offer health benefits, including possible cancer prevention. Flavonoids are the phytochemicals found in grapes, berries and apples. Saponins, plant stanols/sterols, resveratrol, polyphenol and sulforaphane are some of the many healthful phytochemicals.
Member Comments