Benefits of Green Vegetables and Fruit

If you’re considering what goes into a healthy diet, it’s likely that you’ll end up thinking of green vegetables and fruits. Many fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of a wide variety of nutrients, but dark green ones tend to be the most nutrient rich. Whether you’re looking for a maximum load of a particular nutrient in a small amount of food, or if you’re simply looking for an overall healthy and nutrient rich type of food to add into your diet on a regular basis, dark green vegetables and fruits are oftentimes the best place to turn.
Calcium

Although it’s not typically well known, dark green vegetables like kale, broccoli, and spinach are all very rich in calcium. Calcium is an important nutrient that is crucial to the development and the maintenance of bones, teeth and other parts of your body as well. While dairy products like milk and cheese are excellent sources of calcium, many people develop an intolerance or a sensitivity toward these products over time. Dark green vegetables and fruits can be a good way to continue to get the calcium that your body requires without causing your digestive system any stress.

Dietary Fiber

Fruits and vegetables in general are a good source of dietary fiber, but dark green ones in particular make the most of this important nutrient. Broccoli, spinach, cucumber, kiwi, and pears are all good sources of dietary fiber. Fiber is responsible for maintaining a healthy digestive tract and supporting a wide array of other bodily systems in less crucial ways as well. Eating green fruits and vegetables will help to ensure that you do not run into any problems with your digestive system.

Antioxidants

Green fruits and vegetables are also famous for being well stocked with antioxidants. In particular, kale, broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, and green apples are good sources of antioxidants. In your body, chemical processes that occur naturally can result in free oxygen particles becoming loose and floating through your bloodstream. As this happens, it’s possible that your cells may become damaged while the oxygen particles interact with them. Repeated damage over many years can lead to progressive diseases like cancer. Antioxidants are natural chemicals that neutralize those oxygen particles before they cause damage. They have been linked to lowered incidences of cancer.

Vitamins

While each different green fruit and vegetable contains a slightly different mixture of vitamins, it’s likely that any one that you choose will have a good source of at least one important nutrient of this type. In fact, most are excellent providers of several different types of vitamins. Vitamin A and vitamin C are two of the most commonly occurring vitamins in these types of vegetables and fruits. Vitamin A helps your body to process a number of different nutrients, like calcium and potassium, while vitamin C is essential for the building up of your immune system and to prevent you from getting sick.