People who regularly consume salads, including raw vegetables, are getting more of the essential nutrients needed to stay healthy. This new information comes from a report published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association this September.
The study came from diet and health information of nearly 19,000 men and women who completed the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Study. Each participant was given a dietary questionaire and asked to recall their dietary intake over the last 24 hour period.
Each food item was assessed for total nutrient value based on a standardized database of nutritional content. Then blood samples were taken to determine relative levels of nutrients in each person's body.
They found that individuals who consumed salad or raw vegetables had higher levels of folic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, lycopene, and carotenoids in thier blood compared to those participants who did not eat salad.
Most of the above mentioned nutrients are key antioxidants in the body and are proven to be protective against a variety of conditions including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Folic acid is an essential nutrient for cellular metabolism and DNA production among many other functions in the human body.
This report brings home a positive message that doing something so simple as adding one salad to the diet can have a substantial impact on many key nutrients. A diet including salads and raw vegetables also contains high amounts of fiber which can help lower cholesterol and improve bowel function.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on October 9, 2006 03:57 PM
