Your Daily Intake of Fruits & Vegetables
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the three most important personal habits that influence health are smoking, alcohol consumption and diet. For the two out of three adults who do not drink excessively or smoke, the single biggest influence on their long-term health outcome is diet. The Surgeon General’s 1988 Report on Nutrition and Health establishes the fact that two-thirds of all deaths — including coronary heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, diabetes and some types of cancer — are related to what we eat.
And when it comes to diet, the most important changes we can make are to decrease fat and sodium, and increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. With that in mind …
A study from Tufts University in Boston ranks the antioxidant value of commonly eaten fruits and vegetables using an analysis called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). This is a test tube analysis that measures the total antioxidant power of foods and other chemical substances.
Antioxidants are special compounds that protect against oxidation, or cellular damage caused by free radicals, and they have been shown to be effective in helping to prevent retinal diseases such as macular degeneration. Familiar antioxidants include vitamin E, vitamin C and beta carotene. It may be important to remember that, while antioxidant vitamin supplements are popular, it appears the combination of the nutrients in the foods have the greatest effect.
The daily serving of fruits and vegetables is a minimum of 5 servings a day – that’s 5 cups if you chop them up. How are you doing???
