A balanced diet with enough vegetables is a key lifestyle measure for promoting good overall health. It can also help manage existing health conditions, like high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Eating vegetables like dark leafy greens, onions, and carrots can be a great way to increase vitamin and mineral consumption and ensure your immune system remains healthy.
Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This article uses the terms “women” and “men” when discussing people assigned female or male at birth to reflect language that appears in source materials.
While gender is solely about how you identify yourself, independent of your physical body, you may need to consider how your personal circumstances will affect diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment. Learn more about the difference between sex and gender here.
1. Promoting digestive health
Eating root vegetables and dark leafy greens can improve your gut microbiome as they contain many nutrients, such as vitamin K, folate, and magnesium.
Vegetables that are rich in insoluble fiber, like kale, broccoli, and green beans, can also help relieve and prevent constipation.
A 2023 study found that eating vegetables and fruits contributes to the diversity of healthy bacteria in the gut, which is key to digestive and overall health. The study highlighted the importance of eating vegetables and fruits during infancy because it helps develop a strong immune system.
2. Supporting the immune system
The many nutrients found in vegetables help nourish the whole body, including the immune system. As mentioned above, vegetables and fruits nourish the gut microbiome, which plays a key role in our immune health.
Vegetables like spinach, bell peppers, and broccoli are packed with nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate, which can help support the immune system.
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Certain vegetables can help prevent and manage your blood pressure levels.
A 2023 review of studies found that a high intake of vegetables and fruits was linked to a lowered chance of hypertension.
Nutrients found in vegetables, such as fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, are thought to contribute to lower blood pressure. Examples include:
broccoli
carrots
soybeans
Brussels sprouts
cauliflower
spinach
If you have a diagnosis of hypertension, you may also need medication to manage your symptoms. Common examples that a doctor may prescribe include acebutolol (Sectral) and amlodipine (Norvasc).
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Vegetables have also been shown to lower the chance of certain cancers.
A 2021 study found that the consumption of vegetables and fruits lowered the risk of breast cancer among those who are postmenopausal.
According to a 2015 study, vegetables high in flavonoids, glucosinolates, and other nutrients can help reduce the chance of stomach cancer and digestive tract cancers.
Vegetables that contain nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin can help keep your eyes healthy and protect against ocular conditions like macular degeneration and cataracts.
Eating vegetables like dark leafy greens can reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as help manage sugar levels in those who already have the condition.
A 2022 study found that consuming more vegetables lowered blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Here are some vegetables to consider including in your diet.:
broccoli
okra
pumpkin
kale
avocados
How many vegetables should I be eating?
The quantity of vegetables to eat a day depends on several factors, such as your age, sex, level of physical activity, weight, and height. According to the MyPlate Plan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the daily recommended amount of vegetables are:
Toddlers: 2/3–1 cup
Children: 1–2½ cups
Tween and teen girls: 1½–3 cups
Tween and teen boys: 2–4 cups
Women: 2–3 cups
Men: 3–4 cups
This means that during a week, a woman, for example, should have between 14 and 21 cups of vegetables. The MyPlate Plan defines a cup of vegetables as 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or 2 cups of raw leafy salad greens.
Summary
A balanced diet rich in vegetables and fruits is key to maintaining good overall health and managing health conditions.
Vegetables have a wide range of benefits for our bodies, including:
Aune D, et al. (2017). Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality—a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5837313
Kosti RI, et al. (2023).The association of specific types of vegetables consumption with 10-year type II diabetes risk: Findings from the ATTICA cohort study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35770418/
Yen TS, et al. (2022). Increased vegetable intake improves glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A clustered randomised clinical trial among Indonesian white-collar workers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9241062/