Even a Martian dropped on Earth for one day would probably hear that it's a good idea to eat more fruits and vegetables.
The reasons mount as you get older. Produce is not only nutritious -- a rich source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, folate, potassium, magnesium, and fiber, with little or no fat or sodium and few calories -- but also a unique source of some powerful phytochemicals that protect you from disease. Here are some of its benefits.
Weight. Eating more produce is a key weight-management strategy. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber and water, both of which are filling. Researchers at Tufts University found that the greater the variety of vegetables that people eat, the thinner they are.
Heart Disease. Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber, potassium, folic acid, and antioxidants -- all of which protect against heart disease. In population studies around the world, people who eat the most fruits and vegetables are between 15 and 40 percent less likely to develop heart disease, compared with people who eat the least produce.
Blood Pressure. One effective way to lower high blood pressure is to eat 8 to 10 small servings of fruits and vegetables a day, along with at least 3 low-fat dairy servings. The effect is as pronounced as that achieved by many blood-pressure-lowering drugs. And eating this way often leads to weight loss, which may also help reduce blood pressure.
Cancer Protection. Americans who eat five or more servings a day of fruits and vegetables are only half as likely to die from cancer as those who eat one serving or none.
Certain types of produce may provide even greater protection. In population surveys, the vegetables most associated with a lower risk of cancer include onions, garlic, carrots, green vegetables, tomatoes (especially cooked tomatoes), and cruciferous vegetables (vegetables in the cabbage family) including broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and cauliflower.
One study found that men who ate three or more servings of cruciferous vegetables a week had a 41 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ate less than one serving per week.
Longevity. Fruit lovers have an added advantage: A recent Swedish study of men age 54 to 80 found that those who ate the most servings of fruit lived longest.
From Looking After Your Body
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