The human body requires various essential vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants for normal functioning, energy production, and health maintenance. Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables is an essential approach to getting energy for various reactions in the body. Their regular and optimal use also helps to protect against diseases and various stresses and helps to maintain an active, and healthy lifestyle.
Results of various scientific studies have recommended a daily intake of 400g of vegetables and fruits. Various organizations and experts have also recommended this dose in their regulatory and diet consumption guidelines. Different nutritional campaigns are advising people to eat at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruits per day to have a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle. Below is a list of 22 fruits and vegetables for daily consumption and their health benefits and energy profile.
Spinach
Spinach is regarded as the healthiest vegetable as it contains an impressive nutritional profile and boosts a good deal of antioxidants and helps to reduce chronic diseases. Spinach is a high source of lutein, and beta carotene and helps to minimize the risks of cancer development.
Carrots
Carrots are excellent sources of vitamin A and the consumption of 128 grams of carrots helps to provide recommended value for daily energy and nutrition. Moreover, it also contains a good amount of beta-carotene and helps to prevent cancer. Regular intake of carrots provides a daily dose of vitamins C, K, and potassium and also reduces the potential risk of lung cancer among smokers.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a rich source of sulfur-containing compounds and offers protective effects against various cancer types. Moreover, it also reduces the risk of chronic diseases and offers great protection against disease-causing oxidative stresses.
Garlic
Regular and optimal consumption of garlic is helpful to regulate blood sugar and heart health by controlling cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Moreover, it also protects against different types of cancers and helps to promote healthy body functioning.
Kale
Kale is a rich source of nutrients and antioxidants and consumption of only 1 cup of kale is helpful to provide plenty of copper, calcium, potassium, and vitamins (B, C, K, A).
Swiss Chard
It is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fibers, magnesium, manganese, and vitamins K, C, and A. Swiss chard is potentially helpful to offer protective effects against diabetes mellitus and reverse the effects of diabetes by reducing the levels of blood sugars.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a rich source of vitamins, and minerals and provides abundant riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin K, and selenium and thus offers great protection from various diseases.
Collard Greens
These vegetables are naturally rich sources of essential nutrients and one cooked cup of these greens provides 27% of the daily needs of calcium, 4 grams of proteins, and 5 grams of fiber. Moreover, these vegetables are also rich sources of antioxidants and help to reduce the risk of disease development.
Red Cabbage
One cup of red cabbage provides 85% of the daily requirement of vitamin C and 2 grams of fiber. Moreover, it is also a rich source of anthocyanins and serves as a complete host of various health benefits.
Ginger
Regular use of ginger offers potential anti-inflammatory properties and helps to treat inflammation-related disorders such as gout, lupus, and arthritis.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins and helps to minimize insulin resistance and aids weight loss. Various scientific studies have also reported that regular consumption of grapefruits is significantly helpful to cholesterol levels and kidney stones.
Pineapple
Pineapple is regarded as a nutritional superstar of tropical fruits and provides excellent inflammatory properties. Moreover, it is also helpful to digest proteins and helps to protect against tumor growth and different cancer types.
Avocado
Avocado is a rich source of oleic acid and is significantly helpful to reduce inflammation and promoting heart health. Additionally, it also provides magnesium, potassium, and fibers and therefore reduces the risk of stroke, and high blood pressure.
Blueberries
Blueberries have an impressive nutritional profile and are rich sources of manganese, vitamin K, vitamin C, and fiber. Moreover, these are exceptional sources of antioxidants and help to regulate Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and diabetes.
Regular consumption of these berries is also helpful to improve immunity and naturally increases the killer cells in the human body. Thus, it helps to protect against viral infections and oxidative stresses.
Apples
Apples are most commonly consumed throughout the globe and contain a good amount of vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Apple is a notably rich source of pectin content that feeds gut bacteria and helps to improve metabolic health and digestion.
Pomegranate
Pomegranate offers multiple ranges of health benefits as they are incredibly rich sources of antioxidants and other essential plant compounds that help to prevent diseases and reduce inflammation. Scientific studies have shown that antioxidant levels of pomegranate are three times higher than red wine, and green tea, and therefore its daily use is recommended by medical professionals, nutritionists, and health experts.
Mango
Mango is a rich source of soluble fibers, and vitamin C and helps to produce antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, it is helpful to provide good energy to the human body and provides great protection against diabetes.
Strawberries
Strawberries are rich sources of potassium, folate, manganese, and vitamin C. Moreover, they have naturally rich antioxidative capacity and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Their regular use is helpful to prevent tumor formation and cancer.
Lemons
Lemons are well-known in citrus fruits due to their high vitamin C contents and are essentially helpful to promote heart health due to their potential to lower blood pressure, and blood lipids. Scientific studies have also proven that regular use of lemons is helpful to prevent weight gain and kidney stones.
Papaya
Papaya is a rich source of folate, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and a specific antioxidant (lycopene) that offers significant protection from cancer. Also, there is evidence that papaya improves helps to improve digestion due to the presence of papain.
Guava
Guava offers a remarkable nutritional profile and is a rich source of manganese, copper, potassium, vitamin A, folate, and fiber. The antioxidants present in guava offer great protection from oxidative damage and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Oranges
Oranges are the most popular and widely consumed fruits in the world and are excellent sources of potassium, vitamin C, folate, thiamine, and vitamin B. The presence of citric acid, carotenoids, and flavonoids is responsible for major health benefits. Moreover, the presence of citric acid and vitamin C also helps to prevent anemia by promoting iron absorption.
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