Fruit and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are healthy, every child knows that. In fact, fruits and vegetables should be part of every healthy diet, and at best, they should also make up a large part of it. In today’s blog post, we want to devote ourselves to the real reason for this and show that there is more in fruits and vegetables than “just” vitamins.
The most important facts in a nutshell:
- Fruits & vegetables are low in energy while high in nutrients.
- They are good sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals.
- A wide variety of types has a particularly positive effect on health.
- At least 400 g of vegetables and 250 g of fruit should be eaten daily.
What makes fruits and vegetables so healthy?
First of all, it is important to note that not all vegetables are the same and that different types of fruit have different properties. Each type of fruit & vegetable has different nutrients in different amounts. Some contain more sugar, others more of certain nutrients. However, in the following we will consider fruits & vegetables as a unit and explain generalized statements about their health benefits. Nevertheless, it should be noted that certain varieties are superior to others.
Low energy, high nutrients
Fruits & vegetables are suitable for a healthy diet but also especially for weight loss due to their low energy but high nutrient content. This means that you can eat a comparatively large amount, but still consume few calories and many healthy nutrients at the same time.
Vitamins and minerals
In addition to the essential macronutrients fat and protein, our body also depends on the supply of essential micronutrients through food. Whether it’s vitamins A, C, K or minerals like iron, potassium or magnesium: fruits & vegetables are great sources to help us meet our daily needs.
Dietary Fiber
Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of dietary fiber. Fiber, while not essential by definition, is associated with a number of health benefits. Unlike other carbohydrates, they are not digested in the small intestine and thus enter the large intestine undigested. Some of them are fermented by the resident microorganisms (intestinal flora) into short-chain fatty acids. They have anti-inflammatory properties, reduce the risk of cancer and have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. In addition, dietary fiber improves the absorption of various minerals, improves the blood lipid profile and helps with diabetes.
Secondary plant compounds
Secondary plant compounds are those components that give fruits and vegetables their characteristic color. Therefore, similar secondary plant compounds are often found in various green (chlorophyll) or orange vegetables (beta-carotene). In addition to their property of giving color, they also have a positive effect on our metabolism and thus our health. For example, frequent and generous consumption of secondary plant compounds is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure. To date, about 100,000 different phytochemicals are known. Of these, 5,000 to 10,000 are found in human food.
How much fruit and vegetables is healthy?
The DGE recommends a daily consumption of 400 g of vegetables and 250 g of fruit. This corresponds to the known 5 portions daily. It is believed that consumption of up to 7 servings daily is associated with even greater health benefits. Since a worrying 87% of Germans do not eat the recommended 400 g of vegetables and 59% eat less than 250 g of fruit, the general advice can therefore be given: the more, the better.
As mentioned at the beginning, not all vegetables bring the same properties. Among the vegetables, the groups of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, etc.), the groups of onion vegetables (onions, garlic) and green leafy vegetables are particularly noteworthy. They all seem to be particularly healthy. In the case of fruits, the group of berries would be mentioned as particularly beneficial.
Conclusion
Fruits and vegetables live up to their reputation. They should occupy a large and important part in any diet. It is especially beneficial to consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables — eat the “rainbow”, that is, different colored vegetables. In this way, one not only integrates different vitamins and minerals, but also consumes a wide range of fiber and phytochemicals, the varied consumption of which is particularly important.
Although certain varieties seem to be superior to others in terms of health, the best varieties are nevertheless the ones that you also like to eat regularly.
Text-Sources:
(1) Biesalski, H. (2018) Ernährungsmedizin. (5. Auflage) Georg Thieme Verlag.
(2) Nationale Verzehrsstudie II. Ergebnisbericht, Teil 2. Die bundesweite Befragung zur Ernährung von Jugendlichen und Erwachsenen. 2008. MRI.
(3) Rittenau, N. (2020) Vegan-Klischee ade! (7. Auflage) Ventil Verlag UG
(4) Watzl B: Einfluss sekundärer Pflanzenstoffe auf die Gesundheit. In: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung (Hrsg.): Ernährungsbericht 2008. Bonn (2008)
(5) Craig WJ. Phytochemicals: guardians of our health. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997 Oct;97(10 Suppl 2):S199–204. doi: 10.1016/s0002–8223(97)00765–7. PMID: 9336591.
Image-Sources:
