LEAFY VEGETABLES The leaves of local wild and cultivated plants are of vegetables which are rich in starch and part of African diet (Smith, 2007). Some of these African leafy vegetables can also be classified as functional foods because they contain high nutrient which are beneficial to human health (Van wyk, 2003). Green plants absorb the minerals they need for diverse anabolic processes from the soil, the complex organic compounds found in plant leaves are antioxidant molecules which serves as protection against oxidative solar radiation (Zimmermann, 2005). Leafy vegetables are therefore important sources of minerals, trace elements and photochemical with health protective and immune–strengthening properties. Molecular evidences shows that the trace elements in leafy vegetables and antioxidant molecules present lowers the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease through a mechanism that molecule free radical attack on nucleic acids, proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids (Borek,2003). This is an indication that leafy vegetables have a higher antioxidant properties compared to e...
These vegetables are packed with nutrients and contain zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, vitamin C and beta-carotene, which is vitamin A. She hated losing out on a great loss of vitamins and minerals that are essential by not eating these vegetables. She ate on average 2 cups of beans which is a good source of fiber and folic acid, but she overindulged and should eat more green vegetables. She also consumed 2 34 cups of starchy vegetables, which is under her goal.
Thomas, J.A. (2006). Oxidant Defense in Oxidative and Nitrosative stress. In M.E. Shils, M. Shike, A.C. Ross, B. Caballero & R.J Cousins (Eds.), Modern nutrition in health and disease. (10th ed.). (pp. 685-687). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Vitamin C in the body acts as an antioxidant. Vitamin C loses electrons easily, a characteristic that allows it to perform as an antioxidant. In the body, antioxidants defend against free radicals. A free radical is a molecule with one or more unpaired electrons, which makes it unstable and highly reactive. By donating an electron or two, antioxidants neutralize free radicals and protect other substances from their damage. Figure 1 illustrates how vitamin C can give up electrons to stop free radical damage and then accept them again to become reactivated. This recycling of vitamin C is key to limiting losses and maintaining a reserve of
Heirloom vegetables may look the same as any other vegetables, but they are far from ordinary. The only difference is that they were not crossbred with other planted vegetables. When vegetables are referred to as heirloom it just means that they are from an old crop (“Hot Food Trend 2017”). Heirloom vegetables have many positive benefits. Many cooks prefer using heirloom vegetables because of their positive effects. Today’s society should be more open to the trend of heirloom vegetables because of their effects on health, their environmental effects, and their appealing attributes.
In the past decades the incidence of heart disease has increased, about three million people dying of cardiovascular disease in China per year (according to statistics from the Ministry of Public Health of China), which draws people’s great concern to find ways to take precautions. With the development of element analytical method, some types of chemical substances that are beneficial to cardiac health have been found. Lycopene is a very popular natural anti-oxidants found in recent years (Dai, 2011), as well as capsaicin and dietary fiber. Whilst some research focuses on the mechanism of action, little attention has been paid to usability issues, in particular to the generalization of health-giving chemical substances in ordinary meals. There is a lot of evidence that vegetables can positively contribute to prevent heart diseases, by supplying biologically active components. This article continues previous research in the field of Biochemistry and Medical Science, mainly trying to study the effective components which can prevent heart disease in edible vegetables.
Health controls the very basis of how we live today. We see promotions daily about the positive effects of a healthy lifestyle and the required steps to maintain one, but can one really create an overall health lifestyle just based on the foods they eat? A lifestyle is defined as the way a person or a group lives, and can be affected by various different factors. It can be affected by what you eat or how you choose to exercise. For something to be considered helpful towards your lifestyle and health it must compliment your existing routine while positively adding towards it. Veganism is the act of complete cutting animal products from your diet, and has been noted as one of the healthiest diets one can obtain. Although veganism may be a healthy
Ascorbic acid is also called vitamin C and its antioxidant and metabolic properties are essential to both plants and animals. For instances, most of the deficiency-related diseases, like scurvy, can be healed by using ascorbic acid. Moreover, vitamin C is useful in improving human immunity system (ZHANG, 2013). One way that ascorbic acid functions to protect human health is that it can act as an antioxidant to react with the oxidants of the reactive oxygen species (ASARD, et.al., 2004). Reactive oxygen species refers to the reactive molecules containing oxygen and one of the examples is the hydroxyl radical (ZHANG, 2013). This kind of radical can cause damage to human health by interacting with proteins, lipids and nucleic acid in human’s cell (ASARD, et.al., 2004). Since ascorbic acid can react with these radicals, the resulting molecules will become stable and will not harm human’s cell anymore (ASARD, et.al., 2004).
Gardening or horticulture is the activity tending and cultivating a garden especially as a pastime. In the other words, gardening is the job or activity of working in a garden, growing and taking care of plants, and keeping it attractive. Retrieved from dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/English/gardening. Horticultural therapy is a relatively new discipline combining horticulture and rehabilitation disciplines. It employs plants and gardening activities in therapeutic and rehabilitation activities to improve human wellbeing. Gardening is a very good therapeutic activity for someone who have disabled and mentally ill especially depression because it can be effective for healing, restoring and improving health and wellbeing in the recovery of depressive symptoms (Letitcia Y. Alston, 2010). This can be
Humans depend on plants in numerous ways. One reason we depend on plants is for consumption. Plants have the unique ability of producing their own food through a process called photosynthesis. In this process, plants are able to produce macromolecules such as carbohydrates that cannot be produced in animals or humans. In humans, the only to gain these macromolecules is to consume plant matter, or consume plant-eating animals (herbivores).
The Advantages of a Vegetarian Diet Having a healthy dietary method can reduce the chances of receiving many health diseases. These health diseases include obesity, heart disease, and cancer. By consuming certain foods and nutrients in one’s diet, the risk factors for these health diseases can be reduced. A healthy dietary method that is beneficial to reducing and/or improving these health diseases is the vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet follows a dietary pattern that is characterized by the consumption of plant-like foods and the avoidance of flesh foods (meat, poultry, and fish).
The global population in the year 2050 is expected to be nine billion and the agricultural demand is expected to double. With the current population already over seven billion people, there are hunger issues all around the world (“New” par. 1). How are we going to deal with food shortages in the future? With less land to work with, strains on the soils, and the lack of water, it is getting harder for the farmers of the world to support our growing population. These complications are making it harder for farmers to produce quality, affordable food. To help the crops grow better, farmers use fertilizers and chemical sprays to enhance growth and control the weeds. Farming in the United States is a relevant business because it supplies people with food, provides people with jobs maintaining the used equipment with the new equipment being much more expensive, and it provides research for more efficient ways on how to feed the world.
“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise not too little not too much, we would have food the safest way of health” (Barasi.E.M, 2003). This essay is going to discuss on the important of six essential nutrients in human body. According to PosnerB.M (1998), he define essential nutrients as a nutrients that the body cannot synthesize on its own-or not to an adequate amount and must be provided by the died. Oxford dictionary (2009), also define essential nutrients as are those nutrients that are required by the body and cannot be synthesise in the adequate amount to meet requirement, so must be provided by the diet. Essential nutrients are those found to be essential to human life and optimal function, Williams.M. H (2006).There are six main type of nutrients used to maintain body health. They are carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. They must be in balance for the body to function properly.
Would you enjoy having fresh, delicious, luscious vegetables to eat all summer long that cost you almost nothing? I know I would. Well, now you can have your veggies and eat them too. Try building your own vegetable garden. It can fit all sizes of yards and decks. You just need to pick the location and type of garden. Next, you will prepare the garden site and work the soil. Finally, you will plan the specifics and plant your garden. With some care and patience, you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor in no time.
Plant nutrition is area of plant biology that is of the utmost importance for the proliferation of plants. Without proper nutrition, plants would simply cease to exist unless drastic alterations were made. There are certain elements that are required for the plant to grow and reproduce; these elements are known as essential elements. There are three requirements of an essential element: the element must be required for the completion of the plant’s life cycle, the element must not be replaceable by another element in whole, and finally the element must be direction involved in the metabolism of the plant. Chemical compounds that are involved in proper nutrition have been designated as nutrients, and further classified as macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are needed for growth, metabolism, and many other functions, but are designated as “macro” because they are required in larger amounts. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins, and fat molecules. Micronutrients have a much wider function that depends on the exact micronutrient. Micronutrients are designated as so because they are needed in much smaller amounts when compared to macronutrients. Examples of micronutrients include vitamins and minerals.
Fruits and vegetables are important components of our diet. We take fruits in raw state or in the form of juices, while vegetables are taken in the cooked form or sometimes as juices. Fruits and vegetables provide us carbohydrates, proteins and various other important organic compounds. The juices are rich sources of minerals, vitamins and many micronutrients (calcium, iron etc.) essential for us. For example, iron deficiency in humans causes anaemia and anaemic persons are advised to take leafy vegetables e.g. spinach and apples which fills up the iron deficiency.