We all know that vegetables are good for our health. It is a good health food for us, especially for the growing child. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health also maintenance of our body. Even vegetables have plentiful of different tasty, multi-colored, and many kinds, but it all have the great benefited for the human body.
Health Benefits
Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.
Eating a diet rich in some vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers.
Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as some vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
Eating vegetables and fruits rich in potassium as part of an overall healthy diet may lower blood pressure, and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss.
Eating foods such as vegetables that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.
Nutrients
Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. (Sauces or seasonings may add fat, calories, or cholesterol.)
Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.
Dietary fiber from vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.
Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin aids in iron absorption.
Vegetables
1. Tomato: Lycopene is one of the strongest carotenoids in tomatoes. It has the proprieties of an antioxidant. The researches had shown that tomatoes combat the infections in the urinary bladder, in stomach, and prevent the large intestine cancer for about 50% in case we consume tomatoes every day. Tomato contains 26 calories and 1 gram of carbohydrates. It does not contain fats. The Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it. One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red colour – lycopene – could be involved in this protective effect.
Advice: Add olive oil to tomatoes – lycopene is better assimilated with a small quantity of fat.
2. Onion. Onion is one of the richest flavonoyds with quercetin. The researches show that onions decrease the possibility of cancer development. Onions have a variety of medicinal effects. Early American settlers used wild onions to treat colds, coughs, and asthma, and to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, onions have been used to treat angina, coughs, bacterial infections, and breathing problems. Onion is known for blood sugar-lowering effects, for cardiovascular benefits; onion also support gastrointestinal health; along with Garlic has a protective function against many cancers including ovarian cancer; it has an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial activity. A cup contains 61 calories, 3 grams of carbohydrates and no fats.
Advice: *Onion may increase the amount of nutritional substances. If you don’t want to “cry” the onion may be fried in olive oil. It may be served with rice or different vegetables.
* Enjoy classic Italian salad-sliced onions, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil.
3. Artichoke. This unusual vegetable contain a large quantity of silimarine – an antioxidant, which decrease the risk of skin cancer development and control de level of cholesterol in blood. Artichokes promote general health with their balance of nutrients. They are high in potassium, which protects against kidney stones. They are also a good source of folic acid, which is especially important for women of childbearing age since deficiencies have been linked to birth defects. The vitamin C in artichokes adds to their cancer-fighting potential. The thorny thistle can actually improve digestion as well. Studies suggest that artichokes help control blood sugar in those with diabetes. Artichoke extracts have been shown to alleviate the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. A natural diuretic, artichokes are high in insoluble fiber, which helps regulate the digestive tract. One midsized artichoke has 60 calories, 7 grams of carbohydrates and no fats.
Advice: Boil the artichoke during 30-40 minutes. Add lemon juice.
4. Ginger. It helps to combat the dizziness. Gingers healing properties come from its volatile oils, gingerols and shogaols, which are also responsible for its pungent taste. The oils cause more digestive enzymes to be produced which help with the whole digestion process and neutralize the acids that can cause nausea, cramps and even diarrhea. Ginger can also help reduce inflammation. So it can be used to treat any disease that is caused by inflammations such as arthritis or ulcerative colitis. Some studies show that it can even help inhibit the replication of the herpes simplex virus. It can also help relax muscles around the blood vessels and is said to help prevent blood clots from forming. The warming effects make it a natural decongestant as well as an antihistamine, making it the perfect remedy for colds. One spoon of fresh ginger contains one calorie, 0 carbohydrates and 0 fats.
Advice: *Peel the strong brown shell, cut into pieces and fry in boiling oil.
*Make a tea by steeping about 5 slices of ginger in hot water.
* Ginger is excellent in many dishes and is perfect when combined with garlic.
5. Broccoli. It contains indol-3-metanol and sulforaphane, which help to prevent lung cancer. It also contains an amount of C vitamin and beta-carotene. The folic acid in broccoli helps women sustain normal tissue growth and is often used as a supplement when taking birth control pills and during pregnancies. The vegetable is also fiber-rich, which enhances the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as aims to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Additionally, the health benefits of broccoli have been linked to preventing and controlling the following medical concerns: Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, calcium deficiencies, stomach and colon cancer, malignant tumours, lung cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and even the aging process. One cup of broccoli contains 25 calories, 0 fats and 3 grams of cellulose.
Advice: To get the health benefits of broccoli, it can be boiled, steamed, eaten raw, and baked with great-tasting accompaniments, such as a good tasting creamy cheese.
6. Spinach. It contains lactein, carotenoides which prevent the dystrophy of retina, which is the main reason for blindness at advanced age. Spinach is helpful in the following diseases: anemia, tumors, constipation, insomnia, obesity, neuritis (inflammation of nerves), nerve exhaustion, high blood pressure, bronchitis, colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis, dyspepsia (chronic indigestion), also helps ailment of the kidneys, bladder and liver. One portion contains 7 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates and no fats.
Advice: *Add leaves of spinach to every meal with a little olive oil and garlic.
* Add chopped or frozen spinach to your favourite vegetable soup recipe.
7. Celery cabbage. Or Chinese cabbage is capable of numerous breast cancer-inhibiting actions including: 1. inducing the production of Phase II enzymes in the liver, which bind to potential carcinogens and remove them from the body. 2. inducing apoptosis, the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate old or cancerous cells. 3. beneficially affecting the way in which steroid hormones, including estrogens, are metabolized and the way in which the estrogens receptors on cells respond to the hormone. 4. reventing excessive cellular proliferation.
Celery cabbage is known for treating Peptic Ulcers. It contains a high quantity of brassinine, which, according to researches, helps to prevent lung cancer. One portion contains 158 grams of calcium (16% of recommended daily dose), helping to combat the osteoporosis, 20 calories, 3 grams of carbohydrate and 0 fats. It may be found on Asian market or in vegetables stores. Consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, is known to reduce the risk of a number of cancers, especially lung, colon, breast, ovarian and bladder cancer. Now, research reveals that crucifers provide significant cardiovascular benefits as well.
Advice: * Cut some pieces of white stalks and add them to warm meal or with olive oil and garlic.
* If you notice any signs of worms or insects, which sometimes appears in organically grown cabbage, soak the head in salt water or vinegar water for 15-20 minutes first. To preserve its vitamin C content, cut and wash the cabbage right before cooking or eating it.
8. Pumpkin: The pumpkins cultivated in the winter have a large amount of C vitamin and beta-carotene which protect the organism against endometrial cancer. Research shows that people who eat a diet rich in beta-carotene are less likely to develop certain cancers than those who fail to include beta-carotene-rich foods in their diet. Pumpkin also has another carotenoid, beta-cryptoxanthin, which may decrease the risk of lung cancer in smokers. A portion consists of 80 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fats.Advice: Split the acorns into two, and boil the comestible core until it is soft. Then put a little cinnamon.
9. Pepperwort. It has a large amount of C and E vitamin. It will stop the cancer cells from their development. Pepperwort root are high immunity drugs that are used in high immunity deficiency body builder (HIV carriers, Low fertility & to stop the growth of cancer). One portion contains 4 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates and 0 fats.
Advice: Use the Pepperwort in preparing sandwiches or add it into the salad to make it taste spicier.
10. Garlic. The sulfur which is contained in this product give its specific, spicy aroma and decrease the quantity of harmful cholesterol, decrease the blood pressure and the development of stomach and intestine cancer. One reason for garlic’s beneficial effects may be its ability to lessen the amount of free radicals present in the bloodstream. Garlic is potent, even against drug-resistant strains of bacteria, promotes weight control and some new researches concluded: “garlic extract may be an efficient, physiologically tolerable quencher of asbestos-induced genotoxcity.” One head of garlic contain 4 calories and no fats or carbohydrates. Raw garlic is very strong, so eating too much could produce problems, for example irritation of or even damage to the digestive tract.
Advice: Try to prepare garlic during 15-20 minutes, until it is soft and then try to spread it on the bread like butter.
11. Orach. A half cup of prepared orach contains 5 grams of proteins (more than every other gramineae), plus iron, riboflavin (B2 vitamin) and magnesium. The caloric content is 318 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates and fats. The orach doesn’t have any toxic effects. Still, the specialists recommend that those suffering of rheumatism, gout, arthritis should avoid it. Healthy people, both men and women, can eat it at their own discretion.
Advice: * Add orach to soup in order to increase its protein structure. Preliminary, it is recommended to rinse the leaves.
* You should eat orach especially when you need to make a push to something, no matter what, especially if it is a physical challenge. This is because the orach is a revitalizer. The Romans considered the orach an aphrodisiac.
