All your life, you’ve heard that eating vegetables is healthy. However, most people still don’t eat enough vegetables and don’t know why vegetables are so essential to a healthy diet. There are five main reasons why eating vegetables is essential:
1. Potassium helps maintain a healthy blood pressure
Having a healthy blood pressure is critical to your health. The potassium in vegetables can reduce your risk of high blood pressure and helps you maintain safe levels. Vegetables with high-potassium content include spinach, potatoes, squash, and carrots.
2. Vegetables make you live longer
In a recent study, researchers did a test to see how eating vegetables lowered people’s’ risks of diseases like cancer and heart failure. They discovered that people who ate 1-3 servings had a 14% lower risk of dying of any cause, while those who ate 5-7 servings had a whopping 36% lower risk.
3. Folic acid ensures healthy blood vessels
Your red blood cells are extremely important. They carry oxygen all over the body, and a low blood vessel count can result in anemia. Folic acid, which is found most abundantly in leafy greens, helps the body form red blood cells. Pregnant women in particular need folic acid.
Why Eating Vegetables Is Essential
4. Dietary fiber helps you lose weight
There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber slows down your digestion, so you feel full longer and eat less. Insoluble fiber keeps the body free from toxins. The combination of these fibers helps people lose excess weight and then maintain a healthy weight. Vegetables often contain both types of fiber.
5. Eating vegetables gives you healthy skin
Eating veggies impacts your outside appearance. Veggie pigments, called carotenoids, have been shown to reduce skin redness. Getting in your servings of vegetables also helps flush the body of toxins, which have a negative effect on skin health.
If you want to increase your consumption of vegetables, jazz them up with seasonings beyond salt and pepper. In addition, experiment with cheeses, curries, and more to make vegetables taste really good. You can also sneak vegetables into smoothies and baked goods. Even increasing your vegetable intake by just one serving a day can majorly impact your health.
