How does fruits and vegetables help your body

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The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products. Skip to content The Nutrition Source. Harvard T. The Nutrition Source Menu. Search for:. Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy diet, and variety is as important as quantity.

No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. Eat plenty every day. The table below lists specific amounts that count as 1 cup of vegetables towards your recommended intake. Note: Click on the top row to expand the table. If you are on a mobile device, you may need to turn your phone to see the full table. Eating vegetables provides health benefits — people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases.

Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body. Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. Sauces or seasonings may add fat and calories. Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure.

Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products paste, sauce, and juice , beet greens, soybeans, lima beans, spinach, lentils, kidney beans, acorn squash, kohlrabi, and yucca.

Dietary fiber from vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Colorful foods, which are generally fruits and vegetables, contain many of the vitamins and antioxidants we need — with few calories. Along with maintaining good health, the nutrients in vegetables and fruits work together to protect against cancer, heart disease, vision loss, hypertension and other diseases.

Increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet is a great step to improve your health. Red fruits and vegetables protect our hearts. Red color in most fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis, hypertension and high cholesterol. They also lower the risk of developing different types of cancer, including prostate cancer and protect against heart diseases and improve brain function.

Red Fruits: red grapes, strawberries, watermelon, cherries, raspberries, pomegranates, cranberries, red apples. Blue and purple fruits and vegetables help prevent heart disease, stroke and cancer. Suggestions to get the best out of your fruit and vegetables include:.

Some nutrients such as carotenoids may actually be increased if food is cooked. For example, tomato has more carotenoids, especially lycopene, when it is cooked — a good reason to prepare fruits and vegetables in a variety of ways. Sit at the table to eat and enjoy your food without distractions like television. Different fruits and vegetables contain different nutrients.

The Australian dietary guidelines recommend that adults eat at least five kinds of vegetable and two kinds of fruit every day. A national nutrition survey conducted by the Australian Government showed that Australians of all ages do not eat enough vegetables and fruit. Children have a smaller stomach capacity and higher energy needs than adults. They cannot eat the same serving sizes as adults.

However, you should encourage your children to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. By eating well, your children will have the energy they need to play, concentrate better, learn, sleep better and build stronger teeth and bones. Building good habits in their early years can also provide the protection of a healthy diet throughout their lives.

The Australian dietary guidelines have recommendations on how many vegetables and fruits adults, children and adolescents of different ages require.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The size of a standard drink can vary according to the type of alcohol. A common misconception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, but it affects males and females of all ages. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body's cells, and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation. No special diet or 'miracle food' can cure arthritis, but some conditions may be helped by avoiding or including certain foods.

It is important to identify any foods or food chemicals that may trigger your asthma, but this must be done under strict medical supervision. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.