New Studies Suggest Even More Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

Photo By Alaskan Dude

A lot of reward can come from choosing a bag of carrot sticks over a salty bag of potato chips. The fact is that it feels pretty darn good when you have the will power to opt for fruits and vegetables over a processed snack, and now there may be even more good news.

Healthier than Ever?

While we are pretty aware of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, there are some added bonuses that sweeten the deal even more. Most veggies and fruits contain a very impressive amount of phytochemicals which can actually lower our risk for a number of diseases. On top of that, a new study is suggesting that scientists may still be underestimating their healthy power.

Scientists have noted that there may indeed be even more antioxidants present in fresh fruits and vegetables than we all thought over the years.

Benefits of Polyphenols in Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables and fruits on the whole contain a large amount of polyphenols which are natural compounds. These compounds have a strong antioxidant presence that is being proven to combat cell damage within our bodies as they have the ability to fight against natural oxidation of cells. That oxidation of cells can stimulate aging and increase one’s risk for a number of deadly diseases.

New Method to Measure Antioxidant Levels

Very recent studies in a number of highly regarded journals are now suggesting that there may be up to 5 times more antioxidants in fruits and vegetables than we thought.

In the past researches measured polyphenols by studying how much could be removed from each fruit, but this failed to acknowledge the amount that could not be extracted from the fruit. Recently they have realized that a certain sulphuric acid mixture can actually test the levels of polyphenol which are still stuck within fruits and vegetables.

This new test is starting to prove that fruits and vegetables have been undervalued all of these years. How? The old method of testing antioxidant levels forced researchers into overlooking a very large amount of polyphenols in these food choices.

Even if this all sounds complicated, it doesn’t have to be.

So What Does it Mean for You?

Simple. There are now more benefits than ever relating to indulging in fresh fruits and vegetables whenever you can. Ignoring them as a part of your daily diet simply means that you are missing out on some of the most beneficial foods for your health that exist. They are natural, healthy and promote wellness. You cannot really ask for much more than that from your food, can you?

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