It’s essential to eat a colorful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day because they provide the wide range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals our minds and bodies need to function optimally and maintain good health. There is an overwhelming body of scientific evidence that supports the relationship between eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable and good health.

Researchers are finding strong links between increased fruit and vegetable consumption and a decreased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Scientific studies are now indicating a beneficial role for fruit and vegetable consumption in reducing the risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, ulcers, constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypertension.

No one fruit or vegetable contains all of the nutrients and health promoting substances available. It is important to eat as wide a variety of fruits and vegetables as possible. Unlike other foods such as those high in saturated fat, trans fat, processed simple carbohydrates, strange chemicals and preservatives, plain fresh fruits and vegetables are items we don't need to restrict. The National Cancer Institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, suggests eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. One study showed a significant increase in benefits with 9 servings per day.

Variety, the spice of life

The levels of the various nutrients and compounds in vegetables and fruits is highly variable. An apple is not just an apple, it may be a Red Delicious, a Granny Smith, or a Fuji, or any one of the many varieties grown. It may have been picked well before it fully ripened or it may have been picked a bit after its peak. It may have come from cold storage or it may be fresh. Apples may possess certain health benefits that aren't found in bananas or broccoli. Black beans may have a different kind of fiber and certainly more protein than collard greens. It pays to eat as wide a variety as possible and it can really be fun to try new types and varieties. Our tastes change. Sometimes what we remember as being yucky from childhood may taste delicious to us as adults. Our tastes also change once we are eating nothing but whole natural nutrient dense foods. There may be ways to cook or prepare vegetables and fruits that are new to you that may change your opinion entirely.

The 2005 USDA dietary guidelines currently recommend eating a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. In particular, select from all five vegetable subgroups (dark green, orange, legumes, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables) several times a week.

Fresh is best, but raw isn't necessarily better

Dried fruits are high in calories. Canned fruits are often processed with sugar. Canned vegetables almost always have very high levels of sodium. Processing may deplete, dilute, or alter many of the nutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Some people advocate eating only raw fruits and vegetables. The fact is, that a mixture of raw and cooked is best. While some methods of cooking may dilute or reduce some of the nutrients, cooking also can make other nutrients more available. For instance, Tomatoes are rich in the powerful antioxidant, lycopene. Lycopene has been linked with lower rates of a variety of cancers. Because lycopene is tightly bound inside the tomato's cells, our bodies have a hard time extracting and using it. Cooking breaks down cell walls and makes the lycopene available. Tomatoes cooked with olive oils get an additional boost not only because olive oil is a good source of essential fatty acids but because the oil breaks down lycopene and help carry it into the bloodstream.

Fiber

Most fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of dietary fiber. Fiber is basically a non-caloric indigestible complex carbohydrate. Some fiber is soluble in water and some isn't. Each kind seems to be associated with lower risk factors for different diseases. We need to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains, to get the widest range of health benefits. Meats and dairy products do not contain fiber.

The health benefits of fiber were first heralded in the 1800s by Reverend Sylvester W. Graham. He preached that life could be salvaged by vegetarianism and bran. You are probably familiar with his crackers. These days, we have copious scientific studies linking fiber consumption with lowering risks for many of the leading causes of death in America. Fiber appears to reduce the risk of developing various conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, diverticulosis, and constipation. Additionally, fiber takes up space in the gut and has no calories so helps with satiety. Fiber also slows down the conversion of carbohydrates to sugars in the body, thus helping to maintain a level blood sugar level helping to prevent the spikes and quick drops in blood sugar levels that tend to cause food cravings. Fiber is a very good thing for those trying to shed excess weight.

Juicing and juicing machines

The health benefits of juicing are largely overstated. The fact is that removing all of the fiber of fresh vegetables and fruits makes no sense. Why throw away such a large percentage of the health promoting nutrition and disease preventing qualities of a food and turn it into simple sugars. Drinking your fruits and vegetables may be better than not eating them at all.

Supplements

Pills and capsules can never substitute for eating real fruits and vegetables. There are literally hundreds of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables. Science has only begun to identify them and evaluate how they affect the biological processes in the human body. We still don't fully understand why or how many of these substances work to benefit our health. It is strongly suspected that many of them work in conjunction with each other in some balanced way. Singling out one or even several of these components and packaging it in pill or powder form may upset some important balances that could alter the activity of some phytochemicals and possibly block the activities of others. There is no substitute for eating the real thing.

This web site is for informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or to replace consultation with a professional dietician, nutritionist, physician, or mental health professional. None of the information presented within this web site is meant to diagnose, prescribe, or to administer to any physical or emotional ailments or conditions.