Vegetables are a healthy food that should not be missed. You definitely know that you should eat enough vegetables. However, did you know that less than 84% of Americans meet their daily vegetable intake of 4.5 cups. Most of us eat while walking so vegetables become very difficult to include in the diet. But if you know the health benefits of eating vegetables, of course you will try to reap these benefits. So, in regards to this post, we will present news about the benefits of consuming vegetables every day.
Nutrients In Vegetables
Vegetables are low-calorie, carbohydrate foods and are very rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and other substances that are useful for killing disease. The antioxidants in vegetables are also very important because they can prevent oxidative damage that causes cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
To get a lot of nutrients in your diet, you should have all types of vegetables, not limiting them to certain vegetables. Even mentioned, to get complete nutrition, choose rainbow colored vegetables. Here we will see what are the health benefits of consuming vegetables.
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Health Benefits Of Vegetables
Did your parents tell you to eat more vegetables? This is true because vegetables have almost no side effects, they provide many useful nutrients for the health of the body and keep the body healthy all the time. Among the benefits of vegetables are the following:
1. Reducing inflammation
Among the diseases triggered by inflammation are insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis. The diet of western people is aware or not actually triggers all types of diseases. Western diets are usually rich in fat, sugar, and many processed foods. It is a type of food that is prone to causing damage or damage to the body.
Unlike the Mediterranean diet, their diet is high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, fatty fish, etc. that have been shown to reduce the effects of inflammation. Foods high in vegetables are believed to function as anti-inflammatory foods. So, to prevent inflammation and various diseases due to inflammation, choose vegetable-based foods, including:
Green vegetables such as kale, kale, spinach, swiss chard, collard green, all of which contain antioxidants, carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamin C, all of which can prevent damage to body cells. even better if you choose vegetables that are grown organically (free of chemicals).
2. Improve the gut microbiome
These are among the many benefits of consuming vegetables. The human gut microbiome has a big role in maintaining good health. This intestinal microbiome regulates almost all parts of the body, such as metabolism, energy, weight, mood, nervous health, heart health, risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, mental health, osteoporosis, allergies, etc.
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A healthy intestine is a gut filled with good bacteria, the diversity of good bacteria is very important for gut health. Western foods that are rich in fat and sugar are believed to reduce the production of good bacteria in the gut, which is the cause of high body damage and poor health. Among the foods to produce lots of good bacteria are fiber-rich vegetables. So, eat healthy foods such as vegetables to keep your intestines healthy.
Choose prebiotic vegetables such as broccoli, Jerusalem artichokes, collards, chicory, onions, garlic, leeks, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens and kale, eggplant, mushrooms, asparagus, bok choy, radishes, and sea vegetables like spirulina, seaweed, and other sea algae.
3. Vegetables as a tool to help stabilize body weight
Vegetables are not only healthy for the intestines, but they are healthy foods that are good for weight management. why, because vegetables are:
– Low in calories and carbohydrates. one cup of rice contains 240 cal/45gm carbs, while one cup of cauliflower rice only contains 25 cal/5 gm carbs.
– Vegetables are rich in nutrients, fiber and water to speed up satiety
– Vegetables make your stomach full quickly so that you feel full is also very fast.
– The fiber found in vegetables is rich in prebiotics and it provides food for the good bacteria in the gut. Some types of good bacteria can stimulate weight loss, while some can stimulate weight gain.
To get the benefits of vegetables in weight management, choose foods such as: Raw cooked vegetables, take all types of vegetables, especially vegetables that are not starchy.
4. Vegetables lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
Recent studies have shown that a diet high in vegetables can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. This is due to the antioxidant effect in vegetables which is useful in reducing insulin resistance and inflammation. In a study involving 300,000 participants showed a 30% reduction in diabetes risk for those who ate a lot of vegetables in their daily diet.
Diet foods that can reduce the risk of diabetes are a variety of vegetables such as veggies, legumes, fruits, nuts and whole grains. These foods are rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and several other compounds. Even though vegetables are foods rich in antioxidants that can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, you should eat all types of vegetables, especially green vegetables. This is because these vegetables are rich in magnesium and based on other research shows that vegetables rich in magsium can reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
Choose green vegetables because they are rich in magnesium.
5. Reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease
The health benefits of eating vegetables also reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Vegetables are rich in various important substances that are useful for warding off toxins that cause heart disease such as cholesterol. These foods can also improve blood vessel function, reduce high blood pressure, and inflammation. Based on research, consuming ten servings of fruit and vegetables a day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 28% and can reduce the risk of premature death by 31%.
Choose a variety of vegetables or all types of vegetables to get lots of nutrients so that the risk of cardiovascular disease can be prevented.
Among the very important vegetables are:
- Green leafy vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Also consume green and yellow vegetables such as green beans, peppers, carrots. These vegetables are rich in carotenoids, carotenoids act as antioxidants against various foreign substances. This yellow vegetable is also rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber which are great for health. Also consume kale, kale is rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Green vegetables are rich in vitamin K which is good for arterial health.
- You are also advised to consume tomatoes, this is a healthy vegetable rich in lycopene which is linked to its ability to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Also eat high-fiber vegetables such as okra, broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, asparagus, artichokes, these vegetables can help lower bad cholesterol.
6. The benefits of vegetables lower blood pressure
As a result of blood pressure on the artery walls, someone who is experiencing is called a person with high blood pressure or hypertension. If high blood pressure is not treated properly, it can cause damage to blood vessels which can lead to kidney disease, heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so many call it the silent killer.
Consuming vegetables regularly has been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Among the important vegetables to eat are vegetables rich in fiber, potassium, minerals, vitamins, magnesium. Potassium is a very important compound to consume because it neutralizes the bad effects of salt consumption. Vegetables are also cited as the most important part of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. A person following a diet based on the DASH diet for two weeks can lower their systolic blood pressure (the top number of a blood pressure reading) by 8-14 points. In the DASH diet, it is recommended to consume as much as 4-5 servings of vegetables a day.
To follow the DASH diet you can choose vegetables such as green leafy vegetables, rich in potassium. Among these vegetables are romaine lettuce, turnip greens, arugula, kale, collard greens, spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens.
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7. The benefits of eating vegetables in reducing insulin resistance
Various studies suggest that a diet rich in plant substances or a diet high in vegetables can increase insulin sensitivity. To choose vegetables, pay attention to colorful vegetables, colorful vegetables contain many vegetable compounds and antioxidants that are very important for health. Among the effects of antioxidants are eliminating free radicals in the body and various harmful chemicals. In addition, there are also studies that mention the relationship between vegetables high in soluble fiber and insulin sensitivity.
Some types of vegetables that can reduce insulin resistance are as follows:
- Vegetables are rich in fiber and antioxidants, both of which can repair insulin.
- Non starchy vegetables, it can prevent the increase in blood sugar and regulate insulin work
- Improve the gut microbiome,
- The next is the Mediterranean food or the Mediterranean diet. This diet is also associated with its benefits in reducing insulin resistance.
- To increase the benefits of vegetables in lowering insulin resistance, choose colored vegetables such as tomatoes, spinach, green and red pepper, red spinach, collards, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts.
8. Vegetables are beneficial for bone health
Vegetables are a source of vitamins and various minerals needed to strengthen bones. Among the important minerals are calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin C and potassium. We need to consume vegetables high in these substances to keep bones healthy. When we eat acid-forming foods such as eggs, meat and others, bone resistance will decrease. Indeed the effect is very small, but if it continues it will be a problem for the bones. The solution is none other than adding vegetables high in calcium, magnesium, in your daily diet so that the supply of vitamins and minerals needed by bones remains, meaning that bones have the raw material to strengthen themselves.
The most important thing to get the benefits of vegetables for bone health is to consume vegetables high in vitamin K such as dark green vegetables, including kale, spinach, collards greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens.
Apart from that, we also consume foods rich in potassium such as tomatoes, tomato products, and spinach. Also consume magnesium-rich vegetables such as spinach, beets, okra, and tomatoes, artichokes, plantains, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and collard greens.
Finally, eat foods rich in vitamin C, including red peppers, green peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts and strawberries and so on.
9. Benefits of eating vegetables for eye health
Why should you eat lots of vegetables? There are tremendous benefits of vegetables to eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are important compounds in certain vegetables that are useful for maintaining eye health, they eliminate the bad effects of free radicals. If we consume vegetables rich in lutein, and zeaxanthin, they can keep us from macular degeneration or corneal damage that causes cataracts.
To get benefits for your eyes, eat vegetables such as parsley, kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, peas, squash, and red peppers.
10. The benefits of vegetables can also improve brain health
The MIND diet is a diet full of vegetables that is beneficial for brain health. The MIND diet is a combination of the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. In one study, involving 900 people between the ages of 58 and 98, they took repeated neurological tests by filling out food questionnaires.
The results of this study found the following results:
Those who followed a more similar diet to the MIND diet, their cognitive function was found to be equivalent to those of 7.5 years younger.
Following the MIND diet can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 35% or even 53%.
To get the benefits of vegetables for the brain, choose vegetables such as spinach, kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and other green vegetables, consume at least 6 servings a week. This will have a positive effect on the brain.
Bottom Line
Vegetables are important foods and even function as medicine if they are eaten according to the rules. Hippocrates said food is medicine, so it is vegetables that occupy a major position in the type of food that is useful as medicine.
Thus a brief review of the benefits of vegetables for health, hopefully it can increase our knowledge and make us more confident to increase our intake of vegetables in our daily diet.
