Why Are Vegetables Healthy?
In the world of fitness and nutrition there is a plethora of conflicting information by so-called experts battling their corner trying to convince us that there method is the right way to go.
Meat is an essential complete protein.
Meat is the biggest cause of cancer.
Carbs should be part of a balanced diet.
Carbs cause inflammation and are the reason for the obesity epidemic.
And the arguments go on ad nauseam.
One of the very few things that are universally accepted by all though is that vegetables are a super healthy, nutritionally packed and a must in any healthy diet. This is simply just fact and impossible to argue with.
We are all aware that we should be eating vegetables daily, partly I’m sure by our governments concerted effort in campaigning for us to eat at least 5 portions a day. So why are the powers that be pushing so hard for us to be consuming vegetables daily. Is it because our big brother really cares for our well-being or could it be that big bro wants us to be healthy to save him money on hospital bills?
You see, vegetables can really be that powerful.
They are a vital ingredient in the recipe of life and you’ll be a fool to ignore them.
Why are vegetables so healthy?
We have always known that fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins and minerals which may protect from certain types of cancer, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and promote general health and well-being. As you can see from the table below, each vitamin and mineral plays a vital role in every aspect of our body and is the reason why it so important to eat a healthy balanced diet to ensure all bases are covered.
Vegetables also contain fibre which is a complex carbohydrate found exclusively in plants. Fibre cannot be digested by the body and therefore cannot be broken down and used for energy and has no nutritional value. It does however play many important roles especially in maintaining a healthy digestive system.
A diet rich in fibre ensures regular bowel movements and promotes healthy colon function and may help prevent colon and other forms of cancer.
Fibre also acts as roughage, keeping us fuller for longer and is a great way of eating less and reducing calorie intake. It is widely considered that people with a diet high in fibre tend to be slimmer, less likely to put on weight and have less chance of suffering from high cholesterol.
In recent times though there has been an increased amount of research into the importance of these non-essential nutrients called phytochemicals.
What are phytochemicals?
Phytochemicals are non-nutritive chemical compounds produced by plants. Vegetables contain thousands of phytochemicals which act as a defense mechanism to protect these plant foods against threats such as bugs, germs and fungi. Interestingly, when we consume vegetables, our body takes on the healing ability of these phytochemicals which have shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-carcinogenic properties. The term phytochemical refers to all the good and bad compounts but what we want to be consuming are the phytonutrients which are the compounds that have a positive effect.
Phytonutrients are what give fruits and vegetables their distinct flavor and color each providing their own unique health benefit. It is for this reason that we should have a colourful palette and be consuming an array of different colored vegetables. Eating a rainbow of vegetables throughout your week is a simple and easy way of taking advantage of all the many health benefits all these various vegetables provide.
What are the health benefits of the different colored vegetables?
Green
Green vegetables contain chlorophyll which is what gives them their green color.
Studies have shown that chlorophyll can protect against certain cancers such as liver and colon cancer. It does this by binding to certain carcinogens and interferes with their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract preventing them from reaching susceptible tissue around the body. Spinach has the highest chlorophyll content at 23.7mg per serving (1 cup)
Lutein and Zeaxanthin are a compound found in our eye lens and macular region of the retina. Consuming these can protect from cataract and other eye related disease such as macular degeneration which is the main cause of blindness in the elderly. Kale is a great source with 25mg per serving, compared to only 2mg found in broccoli.
Isothiocyanates such as Sulforaphane are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories which further help to reduce the risk of cancer. Brussels sprouts have by far the highest concentration.
Red
Lycopene and Anthocyanin are what give the red colour in vegetables. Lycopene has been proven to protect from certain types of cancer, have positive neurological benefits and protect the heard from many cardiovascular diseases.
This study found that tomato sauce may play a role in reducing prostate cancer which is the most prevalent cancer among men and the reason I started eating tomatoes for the first tine at the age of 36.
Another study looking at the effects of lycopene and heart disease demonstrated how higher ”lycopene concentration has a significant association with the reduced risk of mortality among individuals with metabolic syndrome.”
Orange/Yellow
The phytonutrient mainly responsible for the orange color of vegetables is Beta-Carotene which gets converted to into vitamin A. Vitamin A plays an important role in our immune system, improves respiratory health and has a positive impact on skin and eye health .
Beta-Carotene is one of many carotenoids found in various coloured vegetables. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that fight oxidative stress within the body and help to reduce inflammation.
Carrots and sweet potatoes have one of the highest concentrations of Beta-Carotene with 13 mg but it’s actually Carrot juice that has the highest with 23 mg.
White/Brown
The color of these vegetables is derived from the phytochemicals called Anthoxanthins which have many potential benefits.
Garlic and onions contain antioxidants called polyphenols which help control inflammation which is one of the main reasons for developing chronic disease and cancers.
White vegetables also have a high concentration of sulfur containing compounds called Glucosinolates, that help the body get rid of toxins and carcinogens. Cauliflower is one of the white vegetables with the highest concentration.
It is important to note that many phytonutrients like carotenoids are fat soluble so they need fat to make their way into your body. Cooking with coconut oil or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on your vegetables works or adding some avocado to your salad is a great option as well.
What I have covered here has barely scratched the surface of the power of the vegetable, but I feel its enough to open your eyes to how important it can be. Hopefully next time you are the grocery store you won’t just walk straight past the vegetable aisle on your way to the frozen food section but stop and fill your basket up with a nice mix of them.
There is a long list of phytonutrients contained in vegetables and I have only touched on a few. There are multiple phytonutrients that are found in many different colored vegetables all with varying amounts depending on the colour. For that reason it is important to consume a large array of colors which is a very easy way of covering all your nutritional bases. Don’t just stick to one color of vegetable but try to mix it up with varying colors throughout your week.
From a young age we where always told by our parents to eat our greens and in more recent times it has been rammed down our throats by our respective governments to eat our 5 a day. The problem has always been that we’ve been TOLD what to do but never explained why we should. Just like with anything, if you explained to someone the reasoning behind what you’re asking them to do, you have a much better chance of them doing it.
I hope if after reading this and vegetables are not a staple in your daily diet that you have a better understanding of why they should be. Vegetables are jammed packed with goodness with a long list of possible health benefits. They contain essential vitamins and minerals vital for a healthy body and phytonutrients which have shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-carcinogenic properties.
They are also essential if you are looking to lose weight as they are packed with fibre making you feel fuller for longer eliminating the urge to snack on highly processed sugary carbs and they are very low calories.
If vegetables where a newly discovered thing and somebody was telling you all the benefits this inexpensive tasty plant gave you, you’d think they were crazy and walk the other way. As I have demonstrated, vegetables really are that powerful but it boggles my mind how people are still not aware why they should eat vegetables and what the benefits are. This study reports that only 9% of Americans meet their daily recommended intake of vegetable.
If your goal is to be fitter and healthier and to reduce your chances of contracting one of the many chronic disease plaguing today’s modern society then you can not be one of those people.
