Benefits of fruits and veggies keep cropping up

It's a nutritional rags-to-riches story: Fruits and veggies, once almost an after-thought in the meat-centered American diet, are gaining nutritional super-star status.

"Fruits and vegetables tops the list of foods associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Janice Stuff, a registered dietitian, epidemiologist and Baylor assistant professor of pediatrics.

According to Stuff, the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protective substances called phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables help kids grow and develop properly.  They also help families:

Keep body weight under control. Snacking on low-calorie, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables helps keep both calories and hunger in check. 

Maintain cardiovascular health and prevent birth defects.  In addition to helping hold the line on body weight, fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium, potassium rich and virtually fat free.  Many also provide a healthy dose folate, a vitamin important for preventing neural tube birth defects and keeping levels of a byproduct of protein metabolism called homocysteine under control.  Homocysteine is being investigated as a possible independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  Research also suggests that the fiber and antioxidant phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables also help prevent blood vessel damage.

Reduce cancer risk.  Folate, a vitamin found in asparagus, spinach, broccoli and citrus fruits, helps prevent cancer damage at the molecular level. Selenium, vitamin C and other antioxidant phytochemicals, such as the dark green and orange pigments called carotenoids, help prevent cancer by neutralizing harmful by-products of metabolism inside cells, while other phytochemicals appear to help detoxify carcinogens and block cancer growth.  According to a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research, if everyone consumed a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, 20 percent or more of all cases of cancers could be prevented.

Live a longer and healthier life. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated a lower risk of stroke, cataracts and a painful bowel disease called diverticulosis, as well as improved blood lipid levels and a longer, healthier life overall. 

Because nutrition scientists don't yet know which of the over 100,000 phytochemcials found in fruits and vegetables are most beneficial, Stuff advises families to zero in on fruits and vegetables, not supplements, to get the benefit of these potentially powerful protective compounds.