Healthy diets should consume vegetables every day, but the idea that vegetables are just leafy greens is one-sided.
You know, the vegetable family is colorful, and each color has its own nutritional value!
Let's start with an example:
Green vegetables
Our common green vegetables, such as celery, spinach, broccoli, etc., are rich in folic acid, which is extremely important for the fetus. At the same time, green vegetables can also provide a small amount of calcium, and such vegetables also have more vitamin C, carotenoids, iron and selenium and other trace elements.
Yellow vegetables
and red vegetables
Yellow vegetables such as carrots and pumpkins, and red vegetables such as tomatoes and red peppers are rich in carotene and vitamin C. Among them, yellow vegetables are also rich in vitamins A and D, which can improve appetite, stimulate nervous system excitement, improve night blindness, relieve rough skin, and strengthen bones.
Purple vegetables
Purple vegetables such as onions, purple cabbage, this type of food is rich in anthocyanins, has a strong antioxidant effect, can prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, improve the body's immunity.
White vegetables
White vegetables do not contain coloring, but are rich in dietary fiber and trace elements such as potassium and magnesium, which can improve immunity, protect the heart, regulate vision, stabilize mood, and also have benefits for high blood pressure and cardiomyopathy.
Black vegetables
Black vegetables regulate the human endocrine and hematopoietic systems. Studies have found that black fungus has an active substance that can inhibit tumors, which can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, bowel cancer and bone cancer.
Are vegetables as beautiful as possible?
People can't look, and so are the dishes. In fact, dark vegetables are better than light vegetables, namely dark greens, reds, oranges, and purples.
Dark vegetables have a nutritional advantage, rich in β- carotene and vitamin A, vitamin B2 and vitamin C are relatively high, and are also rich in "phytochemicals".
What is a "phytochemical"?
"Phytochemicals" are chemical components other than known essential nutrients in food, such as phenols, terpenes, plant polysaccharides, etc. Studies have found that phytochemicals have a variety of physiological functions, can antioxidant, regulate immunity, anti-infection, lower cholesterol, delay aging, so it has the effect of protecting human health, preventing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
There are many benefits to eating vegetables
To summarize the key points:
First, a reasonable intake of vegetables can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. A follow-up study of 134,800 middle-aged and elderly residents in Shanghai, mainland China, found that when men increased their intake of vegetables from 144 grams to 583 grams and women from 124 grams to 506 grams, the risk of cardiovascular disease death was reduced by 36% and 16%, respectively, for men and women.
Second, a reasonable intake of vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer in the digestive tract. Increasing vegetable intake is beneficial for the prevention of both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma; cruciferous vegetables can reduce the risk of colon cancer; and allium and cruciferous vegetables have the effect of preventing stomach cancer.
Third, a reasonable intake of vegetables is conducive to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. There are many studies in this regard and will not be repeated.
Health tips
Although eating vegetables has many benefits, do not be confused by "the therapeutic effect of so-and-so vegetables" and "a certain vegetable can cure so-and-so diseases".
Eating the right food can only prevent disease, reduce the risk of disease and assist in regulating health, and is by no means equivalent to "treating" a disease. Food is food, can't mention medication.
New Year of the Tiger, Great Luck!
Author: Expert of the National Health Science Popularization Expert Database Yu Kang of Peking Union Medical College Hospital