It seems as though every week we learn something new about the real power of nutrition. Recently, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) funded scientists at the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research and found some interesting information.
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) and the vision loss associated with it may be connected to the “quality” of carbohydrates.
One study showed that a regular consumption of a “slow carb” ( low glycemic index) diet provided a protective effect against macular degeneration. A food’s glycemic index is an indicator of how fast the carbohydrate it contains will spike blood sugar levels.
So how do you keep your glycemic index in check? To learn more about which carbs produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels, check out http://www.glycemicindex.com/ and follow their recommendations:
1. Pile half your dinner plate high with vegetables or salad
Aim to eat at least five serves of vegetables (this doesn’t include the starchy ones like potatoes, sweet potatoes or sweet corn) every day, and aim for foods with a variety of of colors.
2. Cut back on most potatoes
If you are a big potato eater and can’t bear the thought of giving them up, you don’t have to. Just cut back on the quantity. Don’t be afraid of trying other starchy vegetables like sweet potato, yams or taro, steamed, roasted or mashed.
3. Swap your bread
Choose a really grainy bread where you can actually see the grains, granary bread, stoneground wholemeal bread, real sourdough bread, soy and linseed bread, pumpernickel, fruit loaf or bread made from chickpea or other legume based flours.
4. Replace those high GI crunchy breakfast flakes
These refined breakfast cereals spike your blood glucose and insulin levels. Replace them with smart carbs like natural muesli or traditional (not instant) porridge oats or one of the lower GI processed breakfast cereals that will trickle fuel into your engine.
5. Make your starchy staples the low GI ones
Look for the low GI rice’s, serve your pasta al dente, choose less processed foods such as large flake or rolled oats for porridge or muesli and intact grains such as barley, buckwheat, bulgur, quinoa, whole kernel rye, or whole wheat kernels and opt for lower GI starchy vegetables.
6. Learn to love legumes!
Include legumes like beans, lentils and chickpeas in your meals two or three times a week, more often if you are vegetarian. Add chickpeas to a stir fry, red kidney beans to a chili, a bean salad to that barbecue menu, and beans or lentils to a casserole or soup.
7. Develop the art of combining
No need to cut out all high GI carbs. The trick is to combine them with those low GI tricklers to achieve a moderate overall GI. How? Lentils with rice (think of that delicious classic Italian soup), rice with beans and chili, tabbouli tucked into pita bread (with falafels and a dash of hummus), baked beans on toast or piled on a jacket-baked potato for classic comfort food.
8. Incorporate a lean protein source with every meal
Eat lean meat, skinless chicken, fish and seafood, eggs, milk, yoghurt or cheese, or legumes and tofu if you are vegetarian. The protein portion should make up around a quarter of the plate/meal.
9. Tickle your taste buds
Try vinaigrette (using vinegar or lemon juice with a dash of extra virgin olive oil) with salads, yogurt with cereal, lemon juice on vegetables like asparagus, or sourdough bread. These foods contain acids, which slow stomach emptying and lower your blood glucose response to the carbs in the meal.
10. Go low GI when snacking
If it is healthful and low GI, keep it handy. Grab fresh fruit, dried fruit, or fruit and nut mix, low fat milk and yogurt (or soy alternatives), fruit bread etc for snacks. Limit (this means don’t buy them every week) high GI refined flour products whether home baked or from the supermarket such as cookies, cakes, pastries, crumpets, crackers, biscuits, irrespective of their fat and sugar content. These really are the ‘keep for the occasional treat’ foods.
Keep your eye on the serving size. Remember portion caution with carb rich foods such as rice, al dente pasta and noodles, potatoes etc. Eating a huge amount of these foods, even of the low GI variety, will have a marked effect on your blood glucose. A cup of cooked noodles or al dente pasta or rice plus plenty of mixed non starchy vegetables and a little lean protein can turn into 3 cups of a very satisfying meal.
Most of all, recognize that protective nutrients are in each and every meal that you eat, and we all my have the power to stave off certain age related conditions.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
A Diet Rich in Antioxidants Can Prevent Macular Degeneration and Blindness
Experts at Brigham Young University, United States, disclose that there occur two damaging mechanisms within the retina, which cause macular degeneration.Individuals who develop age related macular degeneration (ARMD), first suffer the loss of central-vision. Sooner or later, the individual loses complete vision.
Heidi Vollmer discovered that ARMD occurs due to a build-up of A2E, a natural by-product of various cellular processes. However, contrasting to other cellular by-products, A2E does not decompose, causing undue damage to the retina. The other factor responsible for ARMD is damage to the mitochondria within the cells. Excessive A2E disrupts the energy manufacture by the mitochondria, which consequently results in the death of the photo-receptors (cells for vision).
Studies were performed to test the photo-receptors of cows, rats and humans. Results showed that antioxidants prevent damage to the cells responsible for vision. What’s more, antioxidants can extend the life span of the photoreceptors and retinal cells.
What is Age Related Macular Degeneration?
Macula is that part of the retinal tissue where pictures and impressions are focused. It is predominantly responsible for our vision.
Importantly, ARMD has emerged as a principal cause for visual loss, world over.
Signs and Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
1.ARMD begins with obscuring of the vision.
2.Objects / pictures appear distorted or twisted.
3.One may visualize a dark area / patch in the center of the visual field.
4.Certain words may go missing, while reading.
5.Peripheral-vision is at first normal, but over a period of time it diminishes.
Preventive and Curative Measures : Diet to Prevent Macular Degeneration
Nutritionists and experts, world over, advise augmenting the daily diet with foods that support and maintain a healthy and good vision. Step up the intake of - carrots, tomatoes, spinach, kiwi, corn, Brussels sprouts, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, apples and mangoes.
The following foods supply generous amounts of (lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene) anti-oxidants that stave off free radical damage to the photoreceptors and preserve vision :
1.Carrots: sustain good vision, even in old age. Carotene, found in abundance in carrots, shields the tissues of the eye from ARMD and checks the occurrence of cataract. Also, carrots supply large quantities of glutathione, the most powerful anti-aging agent. Carrots even prevent night blindness and encourage optimum night vision.
2.Spinach: loaded with lutein, spinach is vital for a healthy and good eyesight and is highly essential to prevent blurring of vision and blindness.
Heidi Vollmer discovered that ARMD occurs due to a build-up of A2E, a natural by-product of various cellular processes. However, contrasting to other cellular by-products, A2E does not decompose, causing undue damage to the retina. The other factor responsible for ARMD is damage to the mitochondria within the cells. Excessive A2E disrupts the energy manufacture by the mitochondria, which consequently results in the death of the photo-receptors (cells for vision).
Studies were performed to test the photo-receptors of cows, rats and humans. Results showed that antioxidants prevent damage to the cells responsible for vision. What’s more, antioxidants can extend the life span of the photoreceptors and retinal cells.
What is Age Related Macular Degeneration?
Macula is that part of the retinal tissue where pictures and impressions are focused. It is predominantly responsible for our vision.
Importantly, ARMD has emerged as a principal cause for visual loss, world over.
Signs and Symptoms of Macular Degeneration
1.ARMD begins with obscuring of the vision.
2.Objects / pictures appear distorted or twisted.
3.One may visualize a dark area / patch in the center of the visual field.
4.Certain words may go missing, while reading.
5.Peripheral-vision is at first normal, but over a period of time it diminishes.
Preventive and Curative Measures : Diet to Prevent Macular Degeneration
Nutritionists and experts, world over, advise augmenting the daily diet with foods that support and maintain a healthy and good vision. Step up the intake of - carrots, tomatoes, spinach, kiwi, corn, Brussels sprouts, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, apples and mangoes.
The following foods supply generous amounts of (lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene) anti-oxidants that stave off free radical damage to the photoreceptors and preserve vision :
1.Carrots: sustain good vision, even in old age. Carotene, found in abundance in carrots, shields the tissues of the eye from ARMD and checks the occurrence of cataract. Also, carrots supply large quantities of glutathione, the most powerful anti-aging agent. Carrots even prevent night blindness and encourage optimum night vision.
2.Spinach: loaded with lutein, spinach is vital for a healthy and good eyesight and is highly essential to prevent blurring of vision and blindness.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Vitiam B To Help with Age Related Eye Problems
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Research has shown that taking a mixture of Vitamin B taken on a consistent basis can halt a common type of vision loss that occurs in older people.
Macular degeneration is thought to effect over 2 million people in the United States, especially over the age of 50.
(Image from Haap Media Ltd - All Rights Reserved)
Although some macular dystrophies affecting younger individuals are sometimes referred to as macular degeneration, the term generally refers to age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD).
Folic Acid Plus Vitamins B-6 And B-12
Researchers at Brigham And Women’s Hospital in Boston discovered that people who took folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12 were able to reduce their risk of macular degeneration by approximately a third.
Macular degeneration manifests as blurred vision which makes it difficult to read, drive and even recognize faces.
More About Macular Degeneration
Age related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults which results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macula) because of damage to the retina.
It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms and it’s a major cause of visual impairment in older adults. Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activities of daily life.
The inner layer of the eye is the retina, which contains nerves that communicate sight; behind the retina is the choroid which contains the blood supply to the macula (the central part of the retina).
Dry And Wet Forms Of Macular Degeneration
In the dry (nonexudative) form, cellular debris called drusen accumulate between the retina and the choroid, and the retina can become detached.
In the wet (exudative) form, which is more severe, blood vessels grow up from the choroid behind the retina, and the retina can also become detached. It can be treated with laser coagulation, and with medication that stops and sometimes reverses the growth of blood vessels.
Beginning Signs
Age-related macular degeneration begins with characteristic yellow deposits in the macula (central area of the retina, which provides detailed central vision, called the fovea) called drusen between the retinal pigment epithelium and the underlying choroid.
Most people with these early changes (referred to as age-related maculopathy) have good vision. People with drusen can go on to develop advanced AMD.
The risk is considerably higher when the drusen are large and numerous and associated with disturbance in the pigmented cell layer under the macula.
Recent research suggests that large and soft drusen are related to elevated cholesterol deposits and may respond to cholesterol-lowering agents.
As the population in the United States ages there is hope that ongoing research to this eye challenge will increase and cures will be discovered.
Research has shown that taking a mixture of Vitamin B taken on a consistent basis can halt a common type of vision loss that occurs in older people.
Macular degeneration is thought to effect over 2 million people in the United States, especially over the age of 50.
(Image from Haap Media Ltd - All Rights Reserved)
Although some macular dystrophies affecting younger individuals are sometimes referred to as macular degeneration, the term generally refers to age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD).
Folic Acid Plus Vitamins B-6 And B-12
Researchers at Brigham And Women’s Hospital in Boston discovered that people who took folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12 were able to reduce their risk of macular degeneration by approximately a third.
Macular degeneration manifests as blurred vision which makes it difficult to read, drive and even recognize faces.
More About Macular Degeneration
Age related macular degeneration is a medical condition which usually affects older adults which results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macula) because of damage to the retina.
It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms and it’s a major cause of visual impairment in older adults. Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activities of daily life.
The inner layer of the eye is the retina, which contains nerves that communicate sight; behind the retina is the choroid which contains the blood supply to the macula (the central part of the retina).
Dry And Wet Forms Of Macular Degeneration
In the dry (nonexudative) form, cellular debris called drusen accumulate between the retina and the choroid, and the retina can become detached.
In the wet (exudative) form, which is more severe, blood vessels grow up from the choroid behind the retina, and the retina can also become detached. It can be treated with laser coagulation, and with medication that stops and sometimes reverses the growth of blood vessels.
Beginning Signs
Age-related macular degeneration begins with characteristic yellow deposits in the macula (central area of the retina, which provides detailed central vision, called the fovea) called drusen between the retinal pigment epithelium and the underlying choroid.
Most people with these early changes (referred to as age-related maculopathy) have good vision. People with drusen can go on to develop advanced AMD.
The risk is considerably higher when the drusen are large and numerous and associated with disturbance in the pigmented cell layer under the macula.
Recent research suggests that large and soft drusen are related to elevated cholesterol deposits and may respond to cholesterol-lowering agents.
As the population in the United States ages there is hope that ongoing research to this eye challenge will increase and cures will be discovered.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Healthy Tips For Eye Care
Prevention is better than cure .This is applicable for eye health too. Eye care is better than eye cure. So do take good care of your eyes. This can be done by taking in lot of vitamins especially vitamin A into your diet. Other diets that are rich in minerals are also good to eyes .Some of the exercises can also ensure good eye health .
Eat lots of green, leafy veggies, says Lylas Mogk, M.D., an ophthalmologist who practices in Livonia, Mich. These include kale, collard greens and spinach, which are rich in lutein, an antioxidant that research shows may help preserve eye health and deter the risk of macular degeneration. Wolfberries, which are rich in zeaxanthin, also may be beneficial.
To protect the eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, you need to make sure your regular glasses and sunglasses have 100% UV protection. “That is completely separate from any tint. The fact is that you can have clear lenses with UV coating that will protect you from the harmful rays of the sun,”
We can benefit from Vitamins A, E, and C for overall eye health care. Vitamin A may help reduce risks of night blindness and cataracts. For people who have Vitamin A deficiency, this deficiency has been implicated in blindness and corneal ulcers .For reducing the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, Vitamin E plays an important role.
Pressure in glaucoma will be reduced when you take Vitamin C and it also helps slow age related degeneration and provides resistance to cataracts. Vitamins are rich source of antioxidants and they can help in eye health care because antioxidant helps fight the effects of oxidation that contributes to the destruction of healthy tissues and is strongly implicated in macular degeneration
Deficiency of vitamin A can lead to nightblindess, xerophthalmia including dryness of eyes and corneal ulcer formation leading to blindness. Vitamin A helps to prevent the progression of age related macular degeneration (ARMD) which is the leading cause of blindness in the world.
Smokers and those consuming alcohol need extra vitamin supplement as tobacco prevents absorption of vitamin A and alcohol depletes it from the body. However smokers should avoid beta carotene supplement as it increases the risk of lung cancer in them.
Food sources: Carrot, mango, sweet potato, papaya, cod liver oil, liver, beef.
Another way to relax your eyes is to place sliced cucumber on the eyelids while you are relaxing in a bath tub.
Try taking short breaks after long hours of working. It is better to do few small eye exercises like blinking eyes several times, rolling the eyeballs while keeping your eyes closed.
Try looking at a distant object in your office or somewhere outside after long working hours. This would help you in improving your eyes focus.
Don’t keep your eyes focused in one place for a sustained period of time. Change your focus. Look up out a window periodically when you’re doing close work, to give your eyes a break. Sustained contraction of the eyes can also lead to a contraction of your upper body and neck. Don’t stare continuously without breaks, as that causes tension on the visual system, and can contribute to vision problems.
Eat lots of green, leafy veggies, says Lylas Mogk, M.D., an ophthalmologist who practices in Livonia, Mich. These include kale, collard greens and spinach, which are rich in lutein, an antioxidant that research shows may help preserve eye health and deter the risk of macular degeneration. Wolfberries, which are rich in zeaxanthin, also may be beneficial.
To protect the eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, you need to make sure your regular glasses and sunglasses have 100% UV protection. “That is completely separate from any tint. The fact is that you can have clear lenses with UV coating that will protect you from the harmful rays of the sun,”
We can benefit from Vitamins A, E, and C for overall eye health care. Vitamin A may help reduce risks of night blindness and cataracts. For people who have Vitamin A deficiency, this deficiency has been implicated in blindness and corneal ulcers .For reducing the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, Vitamin E plays an important role.
Pressure in glaucoma will be reduced when you take Vitamin C and it also helps slow age related degeneration and provides resistance to cataracts. Vitamins are rich source of antioxidants and they can help in eye health care because antioxidant helps fight the effects of oxidation that contributes to the destruction of healthy tissues and is strongly implicated in macular degeneration
Deficiency of vitamin A can lead to nightblindess, xerophthalmia including dryness of eyes and corneal ulcer formation leading to blindness. Vitamin A helps to prevent the progression of age related macular degeneration (ARMD) which is the leading cause of blindness in the world.
Smokers and those consuming alcohol need extra vitamin supplement as tobacco prevents absorption of vitamin A and alcohol depletes it from the body. However smokers should avoid beta carotene supplement as it increases the risk of lung cancer in them.
Food sources: Carrot, mango, sweet potato, papaya, cod liver oil, liver, beef.
Another way to relax your eyes is to place sliced cucumber on the eyelids while you are relaxing in a bath tub.
Try taking short breaks after long hours of working. It is better to do few small eye exercises like blinking eyes several times, rolling the eyeballs while keeping your eyes closed.
Try looking at a distant object in your office or somewhere outside after long working hours. This would help you in improving your eyes focus.
Don’t keep your eyes focused in one place for a sustained period of time. Change your focus. Look up out a window periodically when you’re doing close work, to give your eyes a break. Sustained contraction of the eyes can also lead to a contraction of your upper body and neck. Don’t stare continuously without breaks, as that causes tension on the visual system, and can contribute to vision problems.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Diet Good for Eye Health
Medics recommend that you ensure that you adhere to a diet which is safeguards the health of the eyes.
Wearing contact lenses is a way of boosting vision. In addition, a wide range of foods can prove effective in keeping vision related problems at bay.
Certain medics recommend that you can enhance your eye health by sticking to a dietary intake of foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like oily fish and salmon and oily fish.
Moreover, dark and leafy greens, such as, kale and spinach and kale are considered to be good for your eye sight, particularly for those suffering from macular degeneration.
Previous research has made claims that high doses of vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc, beta carotene and copper taken together can prevent macular degeneration worsening. However, doctors ought to be consulted prior to this course of action being taken.
2009 research from the College of Optometrists concluded that 65 per cent of Brits ought to be eating diets which decrease the risk of future eyesight problems.
Wearing contact lenses is a way of boosting vision. In addition, a wide range of foods can prove effective in keeping vision related problems at bay.
Certain medics recommend that you can enhance your eye health by sticking to a dietary intake of foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like oily fish and salmon and oily fish.
Moreover, dark and leafy greens, such as, kale and spinach and kale are considered to be good for your eye sight, particularly for those suffering from macular degeneration.
Previous research has made claims that high doses of vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc, beta carotene and copper taken together can prevent macular degeneration worsening. However, doctors ought to be consulted prior to this course of action being taken.
2009 research from the College of Optometrists concluded that 65 per cent of Brits ought to be eating diets which decrease the risk of future eyesight problems.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Did Anyone Understand, That Spinach Is A Vegetable Which Has Huge Benefits For Eye Health?
Spinach is widely assumed to enrich eyesight because it includes lutein and other carotenoids. And in transform, lutein is single of the most great antioxidants that guard the eyes against hurt triggered by UV rays in the sunlight. In reality, UV rays and blue wavelength in sunshine are specially related through age analogous macular degeneration. This eye illness is influencing a huge amount of individuals in their middle or old ages, depriving their central vision and leaving simply peripheral vision. With no central vision, some nearing or space job be proficient of be not easy. It is estimated those about solitary fifth of individuals older than 65 are exaggerated by macular degeneration. (Read other article about what does heartburn feel like)
The poorer news is those until now there is no indicative management for macular degeneration. The only get into people be bright to take is to avoid or minimize the risk of those sickness. With this perspective, antioxidants together with lutein this be proficient to lower the chance of causing macular degeneration are precious of appropriate concern. Openhanded colors of several green leafy vegetables on single hand, lutein also functions as an antioxidant in the eyes. And spinach is single of brilliant sources this containing much lutein. (Read other article about heartburn surgery)
Spinach is a highly adaptive plant this it be bright of go up universally except for in tropic areas. In the starting days, spinach was used as a substance for medicinal reasons because it contained oxalic acid. However now, spinach is widely consumed as a day after day vegetable with places in the world. Spinach in the early spring months is the freshest. In truth, that vegetable is existing all year round, thanks to present agricultural advances. In general, hygienic spinach is better than this in frozen. Except for lutein, spinach also has plentiful of other nutrients for instance vitamins C, E, B, minerals, phyto-nutrients, ogema-3 fatty acids and beta carotene etc. There is no subject analogous through spinach because this vegetable has very few energy. (Read other article about foods that cause heartburn)
The poorer news is those until now there is no indicative management for macular degeneration. The only get into people be bright to take is to avoid or minimize the risk of those sickness. With this perspective, antioxidants together with lutein this be proficient to lower the chance of causing macular degeneration are precious of appropriate concern. Openhanded colors of several green leafy vegetables on single hand, lutein also functions as an antioxidant in the eyes. And spinach is single of brilliant sources this containing much lutein. (Read other article about heartburn surgery)
Spinach is a highly adaptive plant this it be bright of go up universally except for in tropic areas. In the starting days, spinach was used as a substance for medicinal reasons because it contained oxalic acid. However now, spinach is widely consumed as a day after day vegetable with places in the world. Spinach in the early spring months is the freshest. In truth, that vegetable is existing all year round, thanks to present agricultural advances. In general, hygienic spinach is better than this in frozen. Except for lutein, spinach also has plentiful of other nutrients for instance vitamins C, E, B, minerals, phyto-nutrients, ogema-3 fatty acids and beta carotene etc. There is no subject analogous through spinach because this vegetable has very few energy. (Read other article about foods that cause heartburn)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Vegetables and Fruits: Get Plenty Every Day
Harvard school of Public Health
"Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. And for good reason. Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss.
Your Questions Answered - Vegetables and Fruits
Q. What counts as a cup of vegetables and fruits?
A. For most fresh or cooked vegetables and fruits, 1 cup is just what you would put in a household measuring cup. There are two main exceptions to that rule: For lettuce and other raw leafy greens, you need to eat 2 cups to get the equivalent of 1 cup of vegetables. For dried fruit, you only need to eat ½ cup to get the equivalent of 1 cup of fruit.
Remember—on the Healthy Eating Pyramid, created by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, potatoes are not counted as a vegetable, since they are mostly starch and should be used sparingly.
What does "plenty" mean? More than most Americans consume. If you don't count potatoes—which should be considered a starch rather than a vegetable—the average American gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day (2½ to 6½ cups per day), depending on one's caloric intake. (1) For a person who needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain weight and health, this translates into nine servings, or 4½ cups per day (2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables).
Over the past 30 years or so, researchers have developed a solid base of science to back up what generations of mothers preached (but didn't always practice themselves). Early on, fruits and vegetables were acclaimed as cancer-fighting foods. In fact, the ubiquitous 5 A Day message (now quietly changing to Fruits and Veggies: More Matters) seen in produce aisles, magazine ads, and schools was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute. The latest research, though, suggests that the biggest payoff from eating fruits and vegetables is for the heart.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Cardiovascular Disease
There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. (2) Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions. (2)
When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease (3) and stroke, (4) compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Blood Pressure
Vegetables on a fork High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As such, it's a condition that is important to control. Diet can be a very effective tool for lowering blood pressure. One of the most convincing associations between diet and blood pressure was found in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study. (5)
This trial examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve.
More recently, a randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. (6)
Vegetables, Fruits, and Cancer
Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. But because many of these were case-control studies, where people who already have a certain health outcome (cases) are compared to people who do not have that outcome (controls), it is possible that the results may have been skewed by problems inherent in these types of studies; people with illnesses, for example, often recall past behaviors differently from those without illness, which can lead to potential inaccuracy in the information that they provide to study investigators.
Cohort studies, which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don't rely on information from the past. And data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer in general. For example, in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, over a 14-year period, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5). (2)
A more likely possibility is that some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers. A massive report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables—such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions, and the like—and fruits "probably" protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach; fruit probably also protects against lung cancer. (7)
three tomatos Specific components of fruits and vegetables may also be protective against cancer. For example, a line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it. (8) One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red hue—lycopene—could be involved in this protective effect. Although several studies other than the Health Professionals study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. (9) Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. (7) Lycopene is one of several carotenoids (compounds that the body can turn into vitamin A) found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and research suggests that foods containing carotenoids may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. (7) But more research is needed before we know the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and cancer.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Gastrointestinal Health
One of the wonderful components of fruits and vegetables is their indigestible fiber. As fiber passes through the digestive system, it sops up water like a sponge and expands. This can calm the irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation. (10) The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and so may help prevent diverticulosis (the development of tiny, easily irritated pouches inside the colon) and diverticulitis (the often painful inflammation of these pouches). (11)
Vegetables, Fruits, and Vision
variety of fruits Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables also keeps your eyes in good shape. You may have learned that the vitamin A in carrots aids night vision. Other fruits and vegetables help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases—cataract and macular degeneration—which afflict millions of Americans over age 65. Cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye's lens, a disk of protein that focuses light on the light-sensitive retina. Macular degeneration is caused by cumulative damage to the macula, the center of the retina. It starts as a blurred spot in the center of what you see. As the degeneration spreads, vision shrinks.
Free radicals generated by sunlight, cigarette smoke, air pollution, infection, and metabolism cause much of this damage. Dark green leafy vegetables—such as spinach and kale—contain two pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, that accumulate in the eye; these pigments are found in other brightly colored fruits and vegetables as well, including corn, squash, kiwi, and grapes. (12) These two pigments appear to be able to snuff out free radicals before they can harm the eye's sensitive tissues. (13)
In general, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appears to reduce the chances of developing cataract or macular degeneration. (14–17) Lutein and zeaxanthin, in particular, seem protective against cataract. (18)
The Bottom Line: Recommendations for Vegetable and Fruit Intake
Vegetables and fruits are clearly an important part of a good diet. Almost everyone can benefit from eating more of them, but variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. The key lies in the variety of different vegetables and fruits that you eat.
Try these tips to fit more fruits and vegetables into your day:
* Keep fruit out where you can see it. That way you'll be more likely to eat it. Keep it out on the counter or in the front of the fridge.
* Get some every meal, every day. Try filling half your plate with vegetables or fruit at each meal. Serving up salads, stir fry, or other fruit and vegetable-rich fare makes it easier to reach this goal. Bonus points if you can get some fruits and vegetables at snack time, too.
* Explore the produce aisle and choose something new. Variety is the key to a healthy diet. Get out of a rut and try some new fruits and vegetables—include dark green leafy vegetables; yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables; cooked tomatoes; and citrus fruits.
* Bag the potatoes. Choose other vegetables that are packed with more nutrients and more slowly digested carbs.
* Make it a meal. Try some new recipes where vegetables take center stage, such as Tunisian carrot salad and spicy broccolini with red pepper.
References
1. 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2. Hung HC, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004; 96:1577–84.
3. He FJ, Nowson CA, Lucas M, MacGregor GA. Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of cohort studies. J Hum Hypertens. 2007; 21:717–28.
4. He FJ, Nowson CA, MacGregor GA. Fruit and vegetable consumption and stroke: meta-analysis of cohort studies. Lancet. 2006; 367:320–26.
5. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 1997; 336:1117–24.
6. Appel LJ, Sacks FM, Carey VJ, et al. Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. JAMA. 2005; 294:2455–64.
7. World Cancer Research Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. Washington DC: AICR, 2007.
8. Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Platz EA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Risk factors for prostate cancer incidence and progression in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Int J Cancer. 2007; 121:1571–78.
9. Kavanaugh CJ, Trumbo PR, Ellwood KC. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's evidence-based review for qualified health claims: tomatoes, lycopene, and cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007; 99:1074–85.
10. Lembo A, Camilleri M. Chronic constipation. N Engl J Med. 2003; 349:1360–68.
11. Aldoori WH, Giovannucci EL, Rockett HR, Sampson L, Rimm EB, Willett WC. A prospective study of dietary fiber types and symptomatic diverticular disease in men. J Nutr. 1998; 128:714–19.
12. Sommerburg O, Keunen JE, Bird AC, van Kuijk FJ. Fruits and vegetables that are sources for lutein and zeaxanthin: the macular pigment in human eyes. Br J Ophthalmol. 1998; 82:907–10.
13. Krinsky NI, Landrum JT, Bone RA. Biologic mechanisms of the protective role of lutein and zeaxanthin in the eye. Annu Rev Nutr. 2003; 23:171–201.
14. Brown L, Rimm EB, Seddon JM, et al. A prospective study of carotenoid intake and risk of cataract extraction in US men. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 70:517–24.
15. Christen WG, Liu S, Schaumberg DA, Buring JE. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cataract in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005; 81:1417–22.
16. Moeller SM, Taylor A, Tucker KL, et al. Overall adherence to the dietary guidelines for Americans is associated with reduced prevalence of early age-related nuclear lens opacities in women. J Nutr. 2004; 134:1812–19.
17. Cho E, Seddon JM, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoids and risk of age-related maculopathy. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004; 122:883–92.
18. Christen WG, Liu S, Glynn RJ, Gaziano JM, Buring JE. Dietary carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and risk of cataract in women: A prospective study. Arch Ophthalmol. 2008; 126:102–109.
"Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. And for good reason. Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss.
Your Questions Answered - Vegetables and Fruits
Q. What counts as a cup of vegetables and fruits?
A. For most fresh or cooked vegetables and fruits, 1 cup is just what you would put in a household measuring cup. There are two main exceptions to that rule: For lettuce and other raw leafy greens, you need to eat 2 cups to get the equivalent of 1 cup of vegetables. For dried fruit, you only need to eat ½ cup to get the equivalent of 1 cup of fruit.
Remember—on the Healthy Eating Pyramid, created by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, potatoes are not counted as a vegetable, since they are mostly starch and should be used sparingly.
What does "plenty" mean? More than most Americans consume. If you don't count potatoes—which should be considered a starch rather than a vegetable—the average American gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day (2½ to 6½ cups per day), depending on one's caloric intake. (1) For a person who needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain weight and health, this translates into nine servings, or 4½ cups per day (2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables).
Over the past 30 years or so, researchers have developed a solid base of science to back up what generations of mothers preached (but didn't always practice themselves). Early on, fruits and vegetables were acclaimed as cancer-fighting foods. In fact, the ubiquitous 5 A Day message (now quietly changing to Fruits and Veggies: More Matters) seen in produce aisles, magazine ads, and schools was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute. The latest research, though, suggests that the biggest payoff from eating fruits and vegetables is for the heart.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Cardiovascular Disease
There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30 percent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke. (2) Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions. (2)
When researchers combined findings from the Harvard studies with several other long-term studies in the U.S. and Europe, and looked at coronary heart disease and stroke separately, they found a similar protective effect: Individuals who ate more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per had roughly a 20 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease (3) and stroke, (4) compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Blood Pressure
Vegetables on a fork High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As such, it's a condition that is important to control. Diet can be a very effective tool for lowering blood pressure. One of the most convincing associations between diet and blood pressure was found in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study. (5)
This trial examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg—as much as medications can achieve.
More recently, a randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that this fruit and vegetable-rich diet lowered blood pressure even more when some of the carbohydrate was replaced with healthy unsaturated fat or protein. (6)
Vegetables, Fruits, and Cancer
Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. But because many of these were case-control studies, where people who already have a certain health outcome (cases) are compared to people who do not have that outcome (controls), it is possible that the results may have been skewed by problems inherent in these types of studies; people with illnesses, for example, often recall past behaviors differently from those without illness, which can lead to potential inaccuracy in the information that they provide to study investigators.
Cohort studies, which follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years, generally provide more reliable information than case-control studies because they don't rely on information from the past. And data from cohort studies have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer in general. For example, in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, over a 14-year period, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5). (2)
A more likely possibility is that some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers. A massive report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables—such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions, and the like—and fruits "probably" protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach; fruit probably also protects against lung cancer. (7)
three tomatos Specific components of fruits and vegetables may also be protective against cancer. For example, a line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggests that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it. (8) One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red hue—lycopene—could be involved in this protective effect. Although several studies other than the Health Professionals study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. (9) Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. (7) Lycopene is one of several carotenoids (compounds that the body can turn into vitamin A) found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and research suggests that foods containing carotenoids may protect against lung, mouth, and throat cancer. (7) But more research is needed before we know the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and cancer.
Vegetables, Fruits, and Gastrointestinal Health
One of the wonderful components of fruits and vegetables is their indigestible fiber. As fiber passes through the digestive system, it sops up water like a sponge and expands. This can calm the irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation. (10) The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and so may help prevent diverticulosis (the development of tiny, easily irritated pouches inside the colon) and diverticulitis (the often painful inflammation of these pouches). (11)
Vegetables, Fruits, and Vision
variety of fruits Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables also keeps your eyes in good shape. You may have learned that the vitamin A in carrots aids night vision. Other fruits and vegetables help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases—cataract and macular degeneration—which afflict millions of Americans over age 65. Cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye's lens, a disk of protein that focuses light on the light-sensitive retina. Macular degeneration is caused by cumulative damage to the macula, the center of the retina. It starts as a blurred spot in the center of what you see. As the degeneration spreads, vision shrinks.
Free radicals generated by sunlight, cigarette smoke, air pollution, infection, and metabolism cause much of this damage. Dark green leafy vegetables—such as spinach and kale—contain two pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, that accumulate in the eye; these pigments are found in other brightly colored fruits and vegetables as well, including corn, squash, kiwi, and grapes. (12) These two pigments appear to be able to snuff out free radicals before they can harm the eye's sensitive tissues. (13)
In general, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appears to reduce the chances of developing cataract or macular degeneration. (14–17) Lutein and zeaxanthin, in particular, seem protective against cataract. (18)
The Bottom Line: Recommendations for Vegetable and Fruit Intake
Vegetables and fruits are clearly an important part of a good diet. Almost everyone can benefit from eating more of them, but variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. The key lies in the variety of different vegetables and fruits that you eat.
Try these tips to fit more fruits and vegetables into your day:
* Keep fruit out where you can see it. That way you'll be more likely to eat it. Keep it out on the counter or in the front of the fridge.
* Get some every meal, every day. Try filling half your plate with vegetables or fruit at each meal. Serving up salads, stir fry, or other fruit and vegetable-rich fare makes it easier to reach this goal. Bonus points if you can get some fruits and vegetables at snack time, too.
* Explore the produce aisle and choose something new. Variety is the key to a healthy diet. Get out of a rut and try some new fruits and vegetables—include dark green leafy vegetables; yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables; cooked tomatoes; and citrus fruits.
* Bag the potatoes. Choose other vegetables that are packed with more nutrients and more slowly digested carbs.
* Make it a meal. Try some new recipes where vegetables take center stage, such as Tunisian carrot salad and spicy broccolini with red pepper.
References
1. 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2. Hung HC, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004; 96:1577–84.
3. He FJ, Nowson CA, Lucas M, MacGregor GA. Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of cohort studies. J Hum Hypertens. 2007; 21:717–28.
4. He FJ, Nowson CA, MacGregor GA. Fruit and vegetable consumption and stroke: meta-analysis of cohort studies. Lancet. 2006; 367:320–26.
5. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 1997; 336:1117–24.
6. Appel LJ, Sacks FM, Carey VJ, et al. Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. JAMA. 2005; 294:2455–64.
7. World Cancer Research Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. Washington DC: AICR, 2007.
8. Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Platz EA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Risk factors for prostate cancer incidence and progression in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Int J Cancer. 2007; 121:1571–78.
9. Kavanaugh CJ, Trumbo PR, Ellwood KC. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's evidence-based review for qualified health claims: tomatoes, lycopene, and cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007; 99:1074–85.
10. Lembo A, Camilleri M. Chronic constipation. N Engl J Med. 2003; 349:1360–68.
11. Aldoori WH, Giovannucci EL, Rockett HR, Sampson L, Rimm EB, Willett WC. A prospective study of dietary fiber types and symptomatic diverticular disease in men. J Nutr. 1998; 128:714–19.
12. Sommerburg O, Keunen JE, Bird AC, van Kuijk FJ. Fruits and vegetables that are sources for lutein and zeaxanthin: the macular pigment in human eyes. Br J Ophthalmol. 1998; 82:907–10.
13. Krinsky NI, Landrum JT, Bone RA. Biologic mechanisms of the protective role of lutein and zeaxanthin in the eye. Annu Rev Nutr. 2003; 23:171–201.
14. Brown L, Rimm EB, Seddon JM, et al. A prospective study of carotenoid intake and risk of cataract extraction in US men. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 70:517–24.
15. Christen WG, Liu S, Schaumberg DA, Buring JE. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cataract in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005; 81:1417–22.
16. Moeller SM, Taylor A, Tucker KL, et al. Overall adherence to the dietary guidelines for Americans is associated with reduced prevalence of early age-related nuclear lens opacities in women. J Nutr. 2004; 134:1812–19.
17. Cho E, Seddon JM, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoids and risk of age-related maculopathy. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004; 122:883–92.
18. Christen WG, Liu S, Glynn RJ, Gaziano JM, Buring JE. Dietary carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and risk of cataract in women: A prospective study. Arch Ophthalmol. 2008; 126:102–109.
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