Connections:
Top 10 Reasons to Eat Your Greens
By Nancy Yergin, MS,
RD, LDN, Forest County Penn State Extension
“Eat
your vegetables.” You’ve heard it since childhood. Now the message has
become more specific: “Eat your dark green leafy vegetables.” You probably
already know that this means to choose spinach salads over iceberg
lettuce. But how many servings of dark green leafy vegetables are you
supposed to eat per day? And more importantly…why? From the
Leafy Greens Council
(yes, there is such a group) come the top ten reasons to eat your greens.
#10 - Your mother told you there are few other vegetables
that are as rich in essential vitamins, vital minerals and food value as
cruciferous vegetables!
# 9 - Your mother told you they are high in calcium.
(Cruciferous vegetables are excellent natural sources of calcium, which
helps to maintain healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis.)
# 8 - Your mother told you they have high vitamin E.
(Vitamin E has been found to inhibit skin tumors and carcinogenesis in a
number of tissues.)
# 7 - Your mother told you they have high ascorbic acid.
(Since vitamin C is not stored by the body, adequate amounts must be taken
every day. In addition to its cancer-inhibiting characteristics, ascorbic
acid (vitamin C) is essential for the production of the white blood cells
that protect against infections and bacterial toxins.
# 6 - Your mother told you they are high in Beta-carotene.
( Beta-carotene is a component of dietary vitamin A. A single serving of
broccoli or one of the greens has enough beta-carotene to provide more than
the daily allowance requirement of Vitamin A).
# 5 - Your mother told you they are high in fiber. (The
American Institute for Cancer Research guidelines call for the consumption
of 25-35 grams of fiber a day).
# 4 - Your mother told you they are low in calories.
# 3 - Your mother told you they have no cholesterol.
# 2 - Your mother told you they are fat free. (Increasing
the amounts of vegetables in our diets can help in controlling weight).
# 1 - Your mother told you to join the Cruciferous
Crusaders All-Star Cancer fighting team. (35% of all cancer deaths may be
related to what we eat. Consumption of certain vegetables, especially
cruciferous vegetables, has been associated with a reduction in the
incidence of cancer in humans).
How much should you eat? If you are an adult, your
goal is to eat between 2 to 3 cups of leafy green vegetables per week.
Children need between one and two cups weekly. And don't get hung up on
eating just one variety only. They're all good; sample the different
varieties by steaming them until tender or finely shredded into a quick stir
fry. It's your health. Take care of it with greens.
Questions or comments on this or other columns? Nancy Yergin can be reached via email at
NLY1@PSU.EDU.
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