The consequences of not eating fruits and vegetables are lost opportunities for better health throughout the life span. Their impact on health and well being is not just what they do for you; it's also what they prevent. Their generous supply of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber are essential for growth, development and achieving optimal health now and for preventing chronic diseases later.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in the minerals and vitamins needed to maintain a healthy body. Taking multivitamins does not substitute for eating fruits and vegetables, according to the Cancer Institute. Supplements cannot fully duplicate the combination of many nutrients and their components in fresh produce. A consequence of not eating fruits and vegetables is missing out on the optimal level of health provided by a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of vegetables and fruits.
Higher intakes of fruits and vegetables correlates with a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Vegetables most likely to help resist heart disease and stroke include dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce and mustard greens, and cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Helpful fruits for preventing heart disease and stroke include citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruit.
Eating fruits and vegetables controls high blood pressure to help prevent heart disease and stroke. People who do not eat fruits and vegetables lose an opportunity to prevent or treat high blood pressure through diet.
Some types of fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers, according to the Health Products Review. Nonstarchy vegetables such as leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, garlic and onions as well as fruits are likely to protect against cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and stomach. Lycopene from tomatoes may be involved in helping protect men against prostate cancer.
The indigestible fiber in fruits and vegetables sweeps through the digestive tract and expands as it attracts water. This action can calm irritable bowel, relieve or prevent constipation and help prevent diverticulosis, the development of easily irritated pouches in the colon and diverticulitis, a painful inflammation of these pouches.
Another consequence of not eating fruits and vegetables is a lost opportunity to fight off free radical damage to the eyes caused by sunlight, air pollution, cigarette smoke and certain chemical reactions in metabolism. Pigments contained in dark green leafy vegetables and brightly colored fruits and vegetables help to prevent damage from free radicals. The vitamin A in carrots helps with night vision and other fruits and vegetables help prevent cataracts, the clouding of the lens of the eye, and macular degeneration, damage to the retina of the eye.
As you can see there are many good and important reasons for us all to eat a diet rich in vegetables and fruit. But there are many of us who can not afford the high price of eating these nutritious foods. There are hundreds of people who go without because they do not have the ability to either grow these foods or buy them at the store. This leads to a lot of health problems currently and later in life. In a country as wealthy as ours this should not ever happen. That is why we are creating the Grow Healthy Initiative to combat these issues. To give everyone an equal opportunity at being healthy and growing strong. Not only do vegetables and fruits help keep our body healthy, they also are essential for mental health as well. Fighting off stress or depression is hard enough but nearly impossible when we can't afford to feed our bodies with the nutrients it needs. Please donate any amount you can afford so that we can help those in need. By supplying them with seeds grown on our own organic farm free of cost so they can grow a garden full of healthy vegetables. We also will donate our own produce grown on our farm for those who can not grow a garden of their own. We wish to make our world a healthy and prosperous place one person at a time. Thank you for your continued support. You can donate using the Donate link to your left. Remember to eat your fruits and vegetables.
