Contents
1. Vegetables increase immunity and prevent aging
For a long time, it was believed that the main benefits of vegetables and fruits are vitamins. Indeed, 5-6 servings of vegetables or fruits on a daily basis provide us, for example, 200 mg of vitamin C. However, vitamin C can also be obtained from a multivitamin tablet, but there are no flavonoids in it. In vegetables, flavonoids are abundant, and it is impossible to live well without them.
Flavonoids are a group of substances with a wide variety of properties and functions; we are interested in one thing: they have antioxidant and immunostimulating properties. And, according to numerous studies, they are indispensable in the prevention of cancer, the health of the cardiovascular system, the fight against allergies and for the youthfulness of the skin.
In addition, red, yellow and orange vegetables are rich in carotenoids, and these substances successfully suppress the activity of free radicals, which are to blame for the aging of the body and the development of cancer.
All of these “vegetable ingredients” explain why the “Mediterranean diet” is recommended for a healthy lifestyle and why a diet deficient in fresh young vegetables, fruits and green salads increases cancer risks.
2. Vegetables control cholesterol and prevent cancer
Vegetables are rich in fiber – soluble and insoluble. At first glance, the difference between them is minimal, but in fact, these two different fibers hit on two different fronts.
Soluble fiber helps to cope with hunger, prevents blood sugar from jumping around as it pleases, promotes weight control and “monitors” cholesterol.
Insoluble fiber is needed for regular bowel function, for the prevention of rectal cancer and in order to keep blood pressure normal.
Vegetables aren’t the only sources of these two types of fiber: both can be found in cereals, legumes, and whole grains. But only with a few servings of vegetables a day is it possible to eat the required amount of fiber and not get extra calories in the load.
The content of nutrients in vegetables (mg / 100 g)
| Flavonoids* | Carotenoids | Soluble fiber | Insoluble fiber | |
| Broccoli | 10 | 3 | 15 | 14 |
| Celery | 10 | 2 | 13 | 15 |
| Frize salad | 2 | 2 | 10 | 13 |
| Brussels sprouts | 6,5 | 1,8 | 6 | 14 |
| Cauliflower | 0,3 | 0,3 | 12 | 13 |
| Cucumber | 0,2 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| Tsikoriy | 29 | 1,3 | 9 | 12 |
| Spinach | 0,1 | 15 | 8 | 13 |
| String beans | 7 | 3 | 13 | 17 |
| Onions | 35 | 0,3 | 12 | 10 |
| Radish | 0,6 | 0,2 | 11 | 16 |
- Quercetin has a decongestant, anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory effect.
- Kaempferol is effective in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
- Apigenin is an antioxidant that has been shown to be effective in cancer prevention according to a number of studies.
- Luteolin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, antitumor and immunomodulatory effects.
3. Vegetables combined with oil “cheat” hunger
If vegetables did not exist in nature, they should be invented by those who monitor their weight. They combine three very convenient properties: low calorie content, relatively high volume, and good fiber content. As a result, vegetables fill the stomach, creating a false feeling of satiety. And to prolong it, make it a rule to add a few drops of vegetable oil to vegetables.