Facts About Fruits and VegetablesHippocrates, the Father of Medicine Focused on Energetics of Food Facts about fruits and vegetables Potassium leaders If you need to increase your potassium intake, good fruit sources are bananas, kiwi, cantaloupe, apricots, pomegranate and tomatoes including tomato products. Good vegetable sources include dried beans that have been cooked, potatoes with their peel and cooked spinach. Fiber leaders Fruits such as berries, apples, bananas, oranges, pears and prunes can help keep things moving through your digestive tract. Peas, potatoes with their peel, dried beans that have been cooked, lentils, cooked spinach and winter squash also boost fiber intake. Antioxidant leaders An antioxidant can be a vitamin, phytochemical, or mineral. Antioxidants neutralize damage to the body's cells and are naturally present in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and nuts. Some of your best bets are berries, particularly blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. Many apple varieties with their peels as well as cherries and black plums are good sources. On the vegetable front, choose artichokes, spinach, red cabbage, red and white potatoes with their peels, sweet potatoes and broccoli. Beans are also a good bet, especially small red beans, red kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans. Research studies have found growing evidence that antioxidants may protect the body's cells from the kind of cell damage that can lead to cancer. Foods that have high amounts of antioxidants are often easy to identify, because many are brightly colored. For example, carrots and sweet potatoes have plenty of beta-carotene; bell peppers, strawberries and tomatoes contain vitamin C; tomatoes and watermelon have lycopene; and dark leafy greens like spinach contain lutein. Broccoli has plenty of beta-carotene and vitamin C among its many protective compounds. Blueberries have anthocyanins. Red grapes have resveratrol. Many herbs - including oregano, rosemary and parsley - contain a range of antioxidants. Researchers are beginning to understand how antioxidants work and can best be used. Experts believe that a diet rich in citrus, tomatoes, peppers, berries, grapes, broccoli, cabbage, greens, like spinach and other vegetables, and fruits should provide all the antioxidants we need for good health and lower cancer risk. We hope you have found these facts about fruits and vegetables to be beneficial. It isn’t always easy to get the recommended daily allowance of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. That’s why we use and recommend whole food supplements.
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