the importance of eating your greens

8/12/2019 The Importance of Eating Your Greens

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April 08, 2013 | 368,051 views | Disponible en Espaol

Leafy Greens Essential for Immune Regulation and Tumor

Resolution

By Dr. Mercola

Only about one-quarter of American adults eat three or more servings of vegetables a day. If you are in themajority who does not, you are mis sing out on major benefits, as consuming fresh vegetables is one of thekey cornerstones to optimal health.

Although I am convinced virtually everyone would benefit from s ome animal protein in their diet, I firmly believewe all need to eat large amounts of fresh, high-quality vegetables every day to achieve high-level health. Someof us need far more than others.

Most vegetables are not very calorie dense and as a result they probably should cons titute the bulk of your dietby volume. Even though my diet is 70 percent fat by calories, if you were to spread out all the food I eat in aday, the largest volume of food would be vegetables.

There is little that compares to the nutritional value of organic, raw vegetables, and according to new research,eating your greens may be even more important than previously imagined.

The Importance of Eating Your Greens

Researchers at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute'sMolecular Immunology division have discovered that a gene,called T-bet, which is es sential for producing critical immune cells in your gut, responds to the food you eatspecifically leafy green vegetables. According to the press release:

"The immune cells, named innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), are found in the liningof thedigestive systemand protect the b ody from 'bad' bacteria in the intestine.

They are also believed to play an im portant role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases

and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers.

... [T]he research team revealed T-bet was essential for generating a subset of ILCs which is a newlydiscovered cell type that protects the body against infections entering through the digestive system.

'In this study, we discovered that T-bet is the key gene that instructs precursor cells to develop intoILCs, which it does in response to signals in the food we eat and to bacteria in the gut,' Dr Belz said.'ILCs are essential for immune surveillance of the digestive systemand this is the first time that wehave identified a gene responsib le for the production of ILCs.'"

ILCs are thought to be essential for:

Maintaining balance between tolerance, immunity and inflammation in your body

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Producing interleukin-22 (IL-22), a hormone that can protect your body from pathogenic bacteria

Maintaining healthy intestinal balance by promoting growth of beneficial bacteria and healing smal l

wounds and abrasions in the gut

Helping resolve cancerous lesions

More Reasons to Eat Your Veggies

Vegetables contain an array of antioxidants and other dis ease-fighting compounds that are very difficult to getanywhere else. Plant chemicals called phytochemicals can reduce inflammation and elim inate carcinogens,while others regulate the rate at which your cells reproduce, get rid of old cells and maintain DNA. Studieshave repeatedly shown that people with higher vegetable intake have:

Lower risks of stroke, type 2

diabetes, high blood pressure,

Alzheimer's disease and heart

disease

Lower risks of certain types of

cancer, eye diseases and

digestive problems

Reduced risk of kidney stones

and bone loss

Higher scores on cognitivetests Higher antioxidant levels Lower biomarkers for oxidativestress

Further, if you eat your veggies raw, you'll also be receiving biophotons, the smal lest physical units of light,which are stored in, and used by all biological organisms -- including your body. Vital sun energy finds its wayinto your cells via the food you eat, in the form of these biophotons. They contain important bio-information,which controls complex vital processes in your body. The biophotons have the power to order and regulate,and, in doing s o, to elevate the organism -- in this case, your physical body -- to a higher oscillation or order.Generally, the more sunl ight a food is able to store, the more nutritious it is.

Naturally-grown fresh vegetables, raw sprouts, and sun-ripened fruits are rich in light energy. Ideally, look forfresh, non-GMO produce that is organically grown on a local farm in your area. Choose the vegetables that

appear freshest first, and consume them raw s hortly after purchase for optimal benefits.

If you can't obtain organic, conventionally-grown vegetables are better than none! Just take extra care with non-organic vegetables by washing them thoroughly and removing peels and cores when pos sible to minimizeyour exposure to pesticides. Certain fruits and vegetables also tend to be far more contaminated than otherssim ply because they're more susceptible to various infestations and therefore sprayed more heavily. Somefoods are also more "absorbent," with thin, tender skins . Such foods would be high on your lis t for buyingorganic.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) produces an annual shopper's guide to pesticides in produce thatyou can download. It lists the produce with the highest and lowest levels of pesticide residue, which can helpsave you money if you can't afford to buy everything organic.

Reasons to Eat Sprouts, a Living Food with Amazing Health Benefits

Sprouts are a "super" food that many overlook. In addition to their nutritional profile, sprouts are also easy togrow on your own. I started sprouting seeds in ball jars 10 to 15 years ago. A Care2 article published lastyear listed 10 reasons for eating sprouts, including the following. For the rest, please see the original article:

Sprouts can contain up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables, allowing your body

to extract more vitamins , minerals , amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat

Both the quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when

sprouted

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The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting

process. For example, depending on the sprout, the nutrient content can increase as much as 30

times the original value within jus t a few days of sprouting. Sunflower seed and pea sprouts tend to top

the list of all the s eeds that you can sprout and are typically each about 30 times more nutritious than

organic vegetables you can even harvest in your backyard garden

During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more

bioavailable

Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food, and can eas ily be grown in your own kitchen, so you know

exactly what you're eating. And s ince they're very inexpens ive, cost is no excuse for avoiding them

Planting and Harvesting Sprouts at Home

I used to grow sprouts in Ball jars over ten years ago but s topped doing that. I am strongly convinced thatactually growing them in s oil is far easier and produces far more nutritious and abundant food. It is also les stime consuming. With Ball jars you need to rinse them several times a day to prevent mold growth. Also takesup less s pace. I am now consuming one whole tray you see below every 2-3 days and to produce that muchfood with Ball jars I would need dozens of jars. I sim ply don't have the time or patience for that. I am in theprocess of compiling more specific detailed videos for future articles but I thought I would whet your appetiteand give you a preview with the photos below.

About to plant Wheat grass and Sunflower seeds - 2 daysafter soaking

Wheat grass and Sunflower seeds 3 days pos tgermination.

Sunflower seeds and Pea sprouts 3 days until ready forharvest.

Sunflower seed sprouts and Wheat Grass - ready toharvest.

Sprouts as Medicine

Sprouts-as -medicine.com is a good source for things relating to sprouts: their health benefits, recipes, and

how to grow your own. The British verticalveg.org is another. The latter gives helpful growing tips for eachmonth of the year. One of the benefits of sprouts is that you can grow them year-round, even when it's cold anddark. The article 6 Easy Steps to Sprout Heaven teaches you how to grow your own sprouts, from s tart tofinish. While you can sprout a variety of different beans, nuts, seeds and grains , sprouts in general have thefollowing beneficial attributes:

Support for cell regeneration

Powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that protect against free radical

damage

Alkalinizing effect on your body, which is thought to protect against disease, including cancer (as many

tumors are acidic)

Abundantly rich in oxygen, which can als o help protect agains t abnormal cell growth, viruses and

bacteria that cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment

Common Sprouts and Their Superior Nutritional Profiles

Some of the mos t commonly sprouted beans, nuts, seeds and grains include:

Broccoli: known to

have anti-cancer

Alfalfa: a significant

dietary source of

Wheat grass : high in

vitamins B, C, E and

Mung bean: good

source of protein, fiber,

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properties, courtesy of

the enzyme

"sulforaphane"

phytoestrogens. Also a

good source of

vitamins A, B, C, D, E,

F, and K

many minerals vitamin C and A

Clover : significant

source of isoflavones

Lentil sprouts: contain

26 percent protein,

and can be eaten

without cooking

Sunflower: contains,

minerals, healthy fats,

ess ential fatty acids,

fiber, and phytosterols.

It's also one of thehighest in protein

Pea shoots: good

source of vitamins A, C

and folic acid and one

of the highes t in

protein

My two favorites are pea and sunflower sprouts. They provide some of the highest quality protein you can eat.They have radically improved the nutrition of my primary meal, which is a salad at lunch. They are a perfectcomplem ent to fermented vegetables. It is hard to imagine a healthier combination that provides theessentials of nutrition very inexpensively.

I plan on producing some videos on how to grow them later this year but for now you can get instructions onhow to grow them by viewing a s tep-by-step guide at rawfoods-livingfoods.com.

Vegetarians in Paradise offers an in-depth write-up on the his tory and health benefits as sociated withsunflower seeds. Of the seeds, sunflower seeds are among the best in terms of nutritional value, andsprouting them will augment their nutrient content by as much as 300 to 1,200 percent! Similarly, sproutingpeas will improve the bioavailability of zinc and magnesium. Sprouted sunflower seeds also contain plenty ofiron and chlorophyll, the latter of which will help detoxify your blood and liver. The phytosterols in sproutedsunflower seeds can help enhance your imm une system. According to Vegetarians in Paradise:

"One of the richest sources of protein, 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of sprouted sunflower seeds contains22.78 grams. The mineral content soars in the sprouted state. That 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) offers anotable 116 m g of calcium, 5.06 mg of zinc, 689 mg of potassium, 1.75 mg copper, and 354 mg ofmagnesium.

Vitamins increase during sprouting when the seeds are producing a new life. Vitamin A increases to50,000 IU, and Vitamin E offers 52.18 mg, while vitamin D provides 92.0 IU for 3 1/2 ounces (100grams). The vitamin B family offers niacin at 4.50 mg, riboflavin at 0.25 mg, and thiamin at 2.29 mg.Sprouted sunflower seeds are also a rich source of iron, providing 6.77 mg for 31/2 ounces (100 grams)that can be a benefit to people with anemia."

Simple Ways to Increase Your Veggies

Two of the easiest and most efficient ways to optimize your vegetable intake is to juice your vegetables andadd sprouted seeds. Not only will juicing help your body absorb al l the nutrients from the vegetables bymaking them eas ily digestible, but you're also avoiding the risk of damaging any of their sensi tivemicronutrients through cooking. Cooking and processing food destroys many micronutrients by altering their

shape and chemical compos ition. And the sprouting process tends to increasenutrient content andbioavailability of nutrients. Sprouts also contain valuable enzymes that allow your body to absorb and us e thenutrients of all other foods you eat.

Another benefit of juicing is that it allows you to add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet that you might notnormally enjoy eating whole. This way, you're working wi th the principle of regular food rotation, which wil lless en your chances of developing food allergies . For more in-depth guidelines and information about juicing,I recommend you review the juicing section of my nutrition plan.

But whatever method you choose, juiced, whole, sprouted or cooked, please make it a point to eat yourveggies . This is one food group that is incredibly diverse, so there's a wide variety to choose from and plentyto suit virtually everyone's tastes. And mounting evidence shows that eating vegetables every day is acornerstone of good health, and a habit that can go a very long way toward preventing dis ease of all kinds ,including cancer.

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the importance of eating your greens

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