Food Smarts

What's Really in Fruits and Vegetables?

You already know that eating fruits and vegetables is good for you. But why? What's really in them is that's so beneficial?

Below are five things that are in fruits and vegetables that makes them good for you. Keeping these things in mind will help convince you to eat your fruits and veggies more consistently.

1. Antioxidants

Fruits and vegetables contain hundreds of biochemical compounds that act as antioxidants. Antioxidants remove toxins called free radicals from your body.

Free radicals latch onto molecules like those in your cell membranes and your DNA and corrupt them. When these molecules are corrupted, your health declines. Corruptions of DNA by free radicals can ultimately lead to cancer.

That's why antioxidants are good -- they clean up free radicals, preventing them from damaging your cells. This leads to better health.

2. Vitamins and Phytonutrients

Vitamins are molecules that we get from food that our body needs to function. Without sufficient vitamins, we get sick. For example, when we don't get enough Vitamin C from our diet, we get sick more easily due to a compromised immune system.

Getting enough vitamins is important. While vitamin pills can supplement what we don't get from food, it's far better to get vitamins from a natural diet than from a pill.

Fruits and vegetables contain hundreds of vitamins and vitamin-like substances. All of these substances together are called phytonutrients. Phytonutrients work together in our bodies like members of a team. Without all the phytonutrient team players, vitamins on their own don't do nearly as good of a job.

When you take a vitamin pill, you're only getting a handful of the phytonutrients that are available in food. We don't know everything that each phytonutrient does, but we know that all of them are helpful.

3. Minerals

Minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are similar to vitamins in that we need a certain amount of them to stay healthy. Our bodies can store minerals, such as the way we store calcium and magnesium in our bones, but over time these minerals will become depleted unless we get enough from our diet.

Fruits and vegetables provide minerals in a natural combination so that we don't overdo any one mineral while still getting enough of what we need.

Fruits and vegetables tend to be low in iron, so it's a good idea to eat animal protein to get enough iron.

The government recommends getting a large amount of calcium each day, more than most people eat, even if they eat dairy products. Originally, we got calcium from eating animal bones and wild plants. Nowadays, I recommend supplementing with 500 mg of calcium citrate or any other type of calcium that is not calcium carbonate.

4. Fiber

Fruits and vegetables are high in indigestible fiber. This is the type that passes through you rather than being absorbed. They also contain digestible fiber, which slows down the digestion of foods, leading to better blood sugar control. Both of these types of fiber are great for your health and for weight-control.

Fiber fills you up so you don't need as much food to feel satisfied. This allows you to eat smaller meals and fewer calories overall, which keeps you much healthier than overeating.

Getting adequate indigestible fiber also helps prevent colon cancer. Eating digestible fiber has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease.

5. Water

While it's good to drink water, it's also good to get it from your food. Foods that are high in water, such as fresh fruits and vegetables tend to be especially filling. This, along with their high fiber content, makes those veggies an excellent weight-control aid.

Overall, you can't beat natural fruits and vegetables as a source of antioxidants, vitamins, phytonutrients, minerals, fiber and water.

Enjoy those summer cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches and strawberries. They're a part of what nature intended us to eat.

Food Smarts *What's Really* in Fruits and Vegetables? You already know that eating fruits and vegetables is good for you. But why? What's really in them is that's so beneficial? Below are five things that are in fruits and vegetables that makes them good for you. Keeping these things in mind will help convince you to eat your fruits and veggies more consistently. 1. Antioxidants Fruits and vegetables contain hundreds of biochemical compounds that act as antioxidants. Antioxidants remove toxins called free radicals from your body. Free radicals latch onto molecules like those in your cell membranes and your DNA and corrupt them. When these molecules are corrupted, your health declines. Corruptions of DNA by free radicals can ultimately lead to cancer. That's why antioxidants are good -- they clean up free radicals, preventing them from damaging your cells. This leads to better health. 2. Vitamins and Phytonutrients Vitamins are molecules that we get from food that our body needs to function. Without sufficient vitamins, we get sick. For example, when we don't get enough Vitamin C from our diet, we get sick more easily due to a compromised immune system. Getting enough vitamins is important. While vitamin pills can supplement what we don't get from food, it's far better to get vitamins from a natural diet than from a pill. Fruits and vegetables contain hundreds of vitamins and vitamin-like substances. All of these substances together are called phytonutrients. Phytonutrients work together in our bodies like members of a team. Without all the phytonutrient team players, vitamins on their own don't do nearly as good of a job. When you take a vitamin pill, you're only getting a handful of the phytonutrients that are available in food. We don't know everything that each phytonutrient does, but we know that all of them are helpful. 3. Minerals Minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are similar to vitamins in that we need a certain amount of them to stay healthy. Our bodies can store minerals, such as the way we store calcium and magnesium in our bones, but over time these minerals will become depleted unless we get enough from our diet. Fruits and vegetables provide minerals in a natural combination so that we don't overdo any one mineral while still getting enough of what we need. Fruits and vegetables tend to be low in iron, so it's a good idea to eat animal protein to get enough iron. The government recommends getting a large amount of calcium each day, more than most people eat, even if they eat dairy products. Originally, we got calcium from eating animal bones and wild plants. Nowadays, I recommend supplementing with 500 mg of calcium citrate or any other type of calcium that is not calcium carbonate. 4. Fiber Fruits and vegetables are high in indigestible fiber. This is the type that passes through you rather than being absorbed. They also contain digestible fiber, which slows down the digestion of foods, leading to better blood sugar control. Both of these types of fiber are great for your health and for weight-control. Fiber fills you up so you don't need as much food to feel satisfied. This allows you to eat smaller meals and fewer calories overall, which keeps you much healthier than overeating. Getting adequate indigestible fiber also helps prevent colon cancer. Eating digestible fiber has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease. 5. Water** While it's good to drink water, it's also good to get it from your food. Foods that are high in water, such as fresh fruits and vegetables tend to be especially filling. This, along with their high fiber content, makes those veggies an excellent weight-control aid. Overall, you can't beat natural fruits and vegetables as a source of antioxidants, vitamins, phytonutrients, minerals, fiber and water. Enjoy those summer cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches and strawberries. They're a part of what nature intended us to eat.		*Tracy Jones is a nutritional educator, a public speaker, and the author of The Caveman Diet* and The Smart-Carb Guide to Eating Out: Fast-Food and Family Restaurants.** Tracy works as an on-site nutritionist for Pure Austin Fitness, the Round Rock American Taekwondo Association and the Riata Luxury Apartment Community in Austin, Texas. 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