Vegetables, basic to prevent diseases: NYT

• April 25, 2024

We like the idea that food can be the solution to all our illnesses, that is, if we eat nutritious foods we will not need to take medications or supplements.

According to information from The New York Times For a long time that idea has been had, for example, two thousand 500 years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates said: "Let food be your medicine and medicine your food".

Currently, medical specialists agree with the idea of ​​Hippocrates, so they ensure that by filling our dishes with fresh vegetables and fruits we will enjoy optimal health.

If we want to take all the nutrients of fruits and vegetables to improve our health, we must learn to choose the right ones.

Several studies published in the last 15 years suggest that a large part of our diet is low in phytonutrients, which are essential to combat current diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and dementia.

The loss of these nutrients did not begin 50 or 100 years ago, as many suppose, but they have been eliminated from our diet since we stopped acquiring natural foods as it was done 10 thousand years ago.

All this is proven thanks to the new technology and research that has allowed the comparison between the phytonutrient content of natural foods that come from the field with those sold in supermarkets.

For example, a plant known as dandelion has seven times more phytonutrients than spinach, which is considered a "superfood".

Each fruit or vegetable found on the market has its own history of nutrient loss. Before, farmers cultivated bitter plants, however, currently the most beneficial phytonutrients have a bitter, acid or astringent taste.

Previously, farmers harvested foods low in fiber and were rich in sugars and starch, because they had to meet the needs of an intense lifestyle.

An example of this is corn, which comes from a plant called teosinte that has 10 times more protein than the grain that we currently eat.

By reducing nutrients and increasing the sugar and starch content of hundreds of other fruits and vegetables. How can those losses be recovered?

1. Corn Choose dark yellow grains. To recover the anthocyanins and beta-carotene, mix it with blue, red or purple grains.

2 onions. Choose those that have a green color are very similar to wild onions. They have five times more phytonutrients than the common ones. The green arts of scallions are the most nutritious.

3. Use fresh herbs that smell and taste mild. For example, mix a cup of chopped parsley and basil in your meat to make hamburgers.

The United States Department of Agriculture makes a great effort to develop fruits and vegetables to improve the immune system of people and have a greater resistance to diseases.

You can not increase the benefits of the products, if you do not know the nutrients they contain. Ultimately, it is required to eat fruits and vegetables that contain the nutrients necessary for optimal health. And you, do you eat healthily?

Video Medicine: The "Healthy" Foods That Are Killing You with Dr Steven Gundry and Lewis Howes (April 2024).