Chlorophyll, the substance that makes plants green, increases oxygen flow and, according to the website the World's Healthiest Foods, might even reduce the risk of cancer. Green foods tend to be high in vitamins and other healthful nutrients. Eat green and harness the healing power of nature.
Salad Greens
Green, leafy vegetables you eat in salads provide vitamin rich, fiber-filled nutrition that sates your appetite without fattening your waistline. Greens such as cabbage, chard, spinach, escarole, arugula, mesclun, romaine, endive, Boston, iceberg and watercress are low in calories but packed with vitamins, including vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as various types of vitamin B, including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine. Salad greens also tend to provide minerals such as calcium and iron. For example, 1 cup of chopped spinach has only eight calories, but provides almost 50 percent of your minimum recommended daily amount of vitamin A and 28 percent of vitamin C, along with lesser amounts of B vitamins. Vitamins A and C are powerful antioxidants that neutralize free radicals, which are scavengers in your body that cause cell damage. Serve your salads with olive oil, cheese or dressing so you can better absorb the vitamin A, according to Young Women's Health.
Cooking Greens
To improve digestibility and enhance their flavor, many leafy green vegetables have been used as cooking greens. Spinach, turnip, mustard, kale, bok choy, kohlrabi, chard, beet greens, collard, kale and broccoli raab greens have achieved esteemed status in many cuisines of the world. Like salad greens, cooking greens tend to be high in vitamins A and C, and also tend to have calcium and iron.
Green Vegetables
Green vegetables, such as peppers, broccoli, cucumber, Brussels sprouts, celery, zucchini, peas, green beans and asparagus have earned the designation of super foods. In addition to offering lots of vitamins, green vegetables contain phytonutrients that assist the detoxification process, ridding your body of toxins and contaminants. One cup of green peppers provides close to 300 percent of your minimum daily recommended amount of vitamin C and more than 100 percent of vitamin A. Like other green vegetables, broccoli is high in the antioxidant vitamins A and C, but it also provides vitamins K, which helps in the metabolism of vitamin D. Broccoli contains other nutrients as well, such as varied B vitamins, tryptophan, magnesium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron and calcium. Broccoli and other green vegetables have strong anti-inflammatory qualities.
Health Benefits
The vitamins and nutrients in green vegetables provide many health benefits. Green veggies lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol levels, enhance vision and retinal health, improve immune system activity, lower the risk of cancer and reduce the harmful effects of free radicals, according to Disabled World.
Effect of Cooking
Exposure to heat, water and light can affect the vitamins in vegetables, according to Beyond Vegetariansim. Vitamin C, folate, pantothenic acid and thiamin break down when exposed to heat. Likewise, vitamins B-6, B-12, C and thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin and folate are water soluble, so they are leeched into water when boiled, according to Beyond Vegetarianism. Preserve the vitamins in your vegetables by preparing them while they are fresh, steam rather than boil them, and avoid over-cooking them. Steam vegetables for only five minutes to minimize vitamin loss.
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