It’s no secret that
regular consumption of fruits and vegetables leads to superior health.
Nutritionists also say diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk
of some types of cancers, stroke and other chronic diseases such as Type 2
diabetes and, perhaps, heart disease.
Those who wish to lose
weight or maintain healthy one will find regular eating of fruits a potent
weapon against the bulge. And, instead of eating those sugary snacks at night,
just reach out for any fruit and munch on.
Fruits and vegetables
also provide essential vitamins and minerals, fibre and other substances that
are important for good health.
Better still, most
fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are filling. As
such, it is virtually impossible to get fat on a diet of fruits and vegetables.
A specialist in
diabetes, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe, recommends that half of your plate during
each meal should be fruits and vegetables. She also says your age, sex and
activity level will determine how many calories you need daily; while your
calorie needs will determine how much fruit or vegetables you should eat.
Nutritionists recommend
eating fruits and vegetables of different colours, which they say gives the
body a wide range of valuable nutrients such as fibre, folate, potassium and
vitamins A and C.
For the ageing brain,
fisetin, a unique flavonoid compound found naturally in many fruits and
vegetables, is very useful. Experts say fisetin is present in strawberries,
blueberries and the skin of cucumbers.
A wealth of scientific
research says a diet packed with raw fruits and vegetables can help prevent
amyloid plaque formation (which contributes to memory loss) in the ageing brain
and helps to maintain normal memory processes.
For the beauty
conscious, a University of St. Andrews, UK, study reveals that fruit and
vegetable intake is also associated with healthy glowing skin. Carotenoids in
the fruits are responsible for the healthy skin glow.
Carotenoids are the red,
yellow and orange pigments found in fruits and vegetables. They deposit under
the skin and provide several health benefits.
Again, scientists at the
Harvard School of Public Health reveal that individuals who consume
antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables on a regular basis are also more
optimistic about the future.
The study assessed the
blood concentrations of nine antioxidants in 1,000 male and female participants
between the ages of 25 and 74. During the assessment, the participants
completed a questionnaire about their attitude towards life.
The scientists found
that the most optimistic participants each had up to a 13 per cent increase in
blood concentrations of carotenoids, compared to those who were less
optimistic. Moreover, they also found that the participants who consumed fewer
than three servings of fruits and vegetables per day were considerably less
optimistic than those who consumed more than three servings per day.
Again, a series of
studies led by Prof. Sarah Stewart-Brown at the University of Warwick showed
that individuals who consumed the most fruits and vegetables were least likely
to suffer from depression, anxiety and other mental issues. They also tended to
be more satisfied with their lives.
“Wonderful news!” you
dare exclaim. And for those who daily load up on fruits and veggies, you
probably think it’s time to give yourself a thumb-up.
Perhaps not so
quickly! This is because nutritionists have also expressed concerns about
certain unethical practices that go with planting and harvesting of fruits,
especially in the laboratories where all sorts of experiments are carried out
in the name of generating increased yields.
At the end of the day,
foods – including fruits – turn out to be what they ought not: dirty. Dirty,
not in the sense of soiled with dirt, but because they are unsafe.
These days, it is common
to encounter ‘seedless’ fruits on supermarket shelves. They are mostly imported
– from the Middle East, the United States and sundry other places. They are
engineered in the laboratories and are generally referred to as ‘genetically
modified.’
Those that are not
genetically modified are saturated with pesticides in the process of planting,
tending and harvesting. Worse still are fruits shipped across the continents.
They may be infested with different sorts of bacteria that can cause serious
health risks.
In fact, experts say
different types of dangerous bacteria are the single highest cause of
food-borne illnesses, as they can cause the spread of salmonella, a bacterium
that causes food poisoning and typhoid fever in humans; or shigella, a
bacterium that causes dysentery.
Nutritionists give a
list of fruits usually called the ‘Dirty Dozen,’ and they include apples (which
contain more than 40 different pesticides, as fungus and insect threats prompt
farmers to spray various chemicals on their orchards); celery (more than 60
pesticides); strawberry (nearly 60); peaches (nearly 60); spinach (nearly 50);
grapes (more than 30); bell peppers (nearly 50); potatoes (more than 35);
blueberries (more than 50); and lettuce (more than 50). Cucumber, runner beans,
and cabbage also feature in this category.
Reference:
punchng
No comments:
Post a Comment