Fruit and Cegetable Consumption - Infinity Health Tips!

Why is adequate fruit and vegetable consumption so important?

You’ll have a hard time finding a reason not to consume fruits and vegetables each day.

They are alkaline producing, which can help to preserve bone mass and muscle tissue.
They are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and phytonutrients.
They contain lots of water to help you stay hydrated.
Because fruits and vegetables have a high water and fibre content, they’re low in calories relative to their volume. Consuming them on a regular basis can result in a higher volume of food intake. Since humans consume a consistent volume of food, a high consumption of low calorie density foods can help to control overall food intake and manage body weight. See: What Are Your 4 Pounds Made Of?

Antioxidants

Plant foods, especially colourful ones, are a primary source of antioxidants. We need lots of these to curb free radicals formed in the body.
Many plant antioxidants are stored in the leaves, where oxygen is active in photosynthesis. Others appear in plant pigments (for example, the anthocyanins that make the blue-purple colours of blackberries and blueberries) and the chemical defenses of plant skins (for example, quercetin in apple skins).
Fat-soluble antioxidants are most likely to concentrate in the fatty plant material – such as within the germ.
Studies suggest that consuming a diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components (such as those found in fruits and vegetables) may lower age-related cognitive declines and the risk of developing neurodegenerative disease.
Epidemiologic and clinical trial data demonstrate strongly that a diet rich in plants (including plenty of fruits & vegetables) can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as other chronic diseases. For instance, by simply increasing vegetable and fruit intake, experts predict that we could prevent 20% or more of all cancer cases and avoid approximately 200,000 cancer-related deaths annually.

What you should know

Prehumans may have eaten meat, but our ancestors didn’t neglect plants. After all, a tuber is a lot easier to kill than a wild boar. Our ancestors ate vegetables and fruits in abundance, and we have evolved to reap the benefits of plants’ nutrients.
Vegetables and fruits should make up the base of everyone’s nutritional pyramid. They are the foundation of a high-quality, healthy diet.