Eat 4 - 5 Servings of Veggies A Day!

Powerful Benefits of Eating 4 to 5 Servings of Vegetables Daily

The well-established health benefits of vegetables has public health experts, nutritionists, federal health researchers, farmers and food industry executives, teachers and physicians to encourage more regular vegetable consumption. However, last month the national

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Americans have fallen far short of the goals set a decade ago to increase consumption of vegetables. In 2009, only 26 percent of adults had three or more servings a day.

That was half the percentage public health officials had hoped for.

The current recommendations: at least four to five vegetable servings daily. A serving is half a cup of cut-up or cooked vegetables, one cup of fresh greens, half a cup of cooked dried beans, or at least six ounces of freshly-prepared vegetable juice.

Alarming new public health data reports a society where obesity is ballooning out of control.

Curbing weight gain can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, now rampant in America and an important cause of heart disease, kidney failure and premature death.

Dietary Fiber, Potassium and So Much More...
Vegetables are richly-loaded with vital nutrients: potassium, beta-carotene (nutritive precursor of vitamin A), magnesium, calcium, iron, folate ( B vitamin) and vitamins C, E and K, as well as antioxidants and fiber.

Vegetables provide dietary bulk, filling the stomach and reducing the appetite for higher-calorie foods. The fiber in vegetables helps reduce blood levels of heart-damaging cholesterol and is the natural solution for preventing constipation and diverticulosis.

The potassium in tomatos, legumes, beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach and different varieties of squash can reduce high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and bone loss.

Folate is a critical nutrient during pregnancy to prevent spinal cord defects; This essential B vitamint also helps the body form red blood cells. Vitamin E, an antioxidant, works in synergy with essential fatty acids and protects against premature cell aging; and vitamin C is important for healthy gums and teeth, healing of wounds and absorption of iron. Vitamin K aids in blood clotting.That is why It is important to caution people taking prescription blood thinners to curb their intake of foods rich in Vitamin K.

The vitamin A formed from beta-carotene is vital to the health of the eyes and skin and may help prevent infections.

A Harvard study of 73,000 nurses, published in 2003 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, linked a carotenoid-rich diet to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease, and a recent Swedish study found that it cut the risk of stomach cancer in half.

Two other vegetable-source carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, can reduce the risks of macular degeneration and cataracts, common causes of vision loss as people age. These protective nutrients are found in dark green leafy vegetables, like spinach and kale, which are loaded with other valuable vitamins and minerals.

Lycopene, another carotenoid, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer and was also linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in women. Lycopene is best obtained from processed tomato products including tomato sauce, ketchup products, etc. Several other cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collard greens and brussels sprouts.

Include vegetables supplying allum and quercetin, including onions and garlic, that researchers in Milan have linked to protection against cancers of the colon and rectum, ovary, prostate, breast, kidney, esophagus, mouth and throat.

Last year The Nutrition Action Health letter ranked vegetables according to nutrient content. Kale led the list, followed by spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, Swiss chard, canned pumpkin, mustard greens, sweet potato, broccoli and carrots.Oher super-nutrient vegetables listed were romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, curly endive, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, green pepper, peas and bok choy.

You'll also be pleased to note... Most of these (when unadorned by butter, saturated fat) have more than 40 calories a serving. The majority have only 20 or 30 calories.

It's no surprise health experts urge people to eat at least 4 to 5 servings of vegetables daily. It's the most effective and most economical way to keeping people healthier and easing society's burden of runaway health care costs.