Over the last few decades, the American diet has become increasingly filled with fats and processed foods, leading to an increase in health issues. Extremely busy lives mean less time for cooking and more settling for fast meals, which can be high in fat and devoid of nutrients. It's time to take a hard look at the healthful qualities of fruits and vegetables and cast off the dependency on processed sugars, flour and preservatives.
Antioxidants
Not only do fruits and vegetables provide us with a wide variety of taste sensations, but they are loaded with antioxidants. Antioxidants help the body fight off free radicals, which can damage cells, and they may play a major role in reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease and fighting the onset of aging. They may also help to prevent bronchitis, emphysema and cataracts and to slow the effects of Alzheimer's disease. Fruits and vegetables provide a natural source of antioxidants, which is beneficial since there is inconclusive evidence that antioxidant supplements have the same effect, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Fruits
Most fruits are an excellent source of health-enhancing and necessary vitamins that help the body fight off certain diseases. For instance, vitamin C fights infections and helps with healing and is found in citrus fruits; folate, which creates normal blood cells and protein synthesis, is abundant in bananas, oranges and grapefruits; pantothenic acid is beneficial for proper sleeping, battling fatigue and coordination and is contained in a variety of fruits; vitamin B6 prevents depression, muscular weakness and promotes normal functioning of the nervous system and is plentiful in bananas, prunes and tomatoes.
Vegetables
Vegetables are another food group that is high in vitamins such as vitamin K, which is essential for the clotting of blood, and vitamin E, which reduces LDL cholesterol and assists in the prevention of muscle loss and nerve damage. A good source of these two vitamins are green, leafy vegetables. Biotin, which is a vitamin that the body needs to manufacture fats, protein and glycogen, is in vegetables; vitamin C is an element of broccoli, red and green peppers and tomatoes; and pantothenic acid is also found in vegetables.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic compounds found in fruits and vegetables that allow the body to complete many basic functions. Without minerals, there are many health problems we would be susceptible to. Potassium, which helps prevent weakness, confusion and an irregular heartbeat, is a part of squash, bananas and avocados; molybdenum, which is involved in the transfer of oxygen, is a component of dark, green vegetables; iron, which maintains healthy red blood cells, is an element of spinach; and magnesium is found in green vegetables.
References
- "Understanding Nutrition"; Eleanor Ross Whitney and Sharon Rady Rolfes; 2002
- "Nutrition Now"; Judith Brown; 2002
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood; 2004
- Harvard School of Public Health: Antioxidants: Beyond the Hype
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