Vegetables: Good Call!

I am not a nutritionist, but the evidence is clear: vegetables are a great call!

Of all the things we can do to improve our health, eating vegetables might be the best. Vegetable consumption may reduce prostate cancer risk,2 lower cardiovascular disease risk,3 and reduce lung cancer risk.

Vegetables are generally low in calories so they can help us maintain a healthy weight.

Vegetables also help speed the digestive process, which may prevent cancers. Vegetables can fight heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.

Eating vegetables can even limit your disease risk if you are a smoker. Broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables have been proven to slow cancer growth in human beings.

Vegetables are packed with phytonutrients, which are the chemicals and nutrients found in plants. Nature uses phytochemicals to protect the plants from various viruses and other negative factors.

The phytonutrients include allylic sulfides (found in garlic and onions), cartenoids (found in broccoli, carrots, greens, and tomatoes), flavonoids (found in broccoli and kale), and others.

Those practicing vegetarian diets have repeatedly been shown to have lower risks of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Even if you do not practice a vegetarian diet, limiting red meat and eating more plant foods can do wonders for your health.

Shoot for the "rainbow effect" when shopping for vegetables. Different colored vegetables provide different nutritional needs for our bodies.

You should check with your doctor or dietitian prior to making any dramatic eating changes.

Excerpted from Jeff’s ultimate beginner’s fitness book: Never Get Old. Available at www.jeffblairfitness.com.

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2. Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2000), 92(1): 61-8.
3. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000); 72: 922-8.