Health Benefits of Green Vegetables
As children we may have screwed our nose up at having to eat our so-called healthy green vegetables. Our parents would tell us how good they were for us and we do the same with our own children. However, even though they tell it, many parents don’t really know why they are good for us! Simply because they were told that too, so it has been passed on through the generations that eating our broccoli and peas will make us healthy.
It’s now time to look at why it’s so worth eating your green vegetables and understanding the benefits for your health.
Natural Detoxifier and Deodorizer
Green leafy vegetables are rich sources of chlorophyll which serves as one of the body’s detoxifiers. Chlorophyll plays a part in ensuring that enough oxygen is being delivered by the blood to all the different cells in the body. It is also involved in the neutralization of free radicals which helps prevent damage to the cells.
Individuals who have bad breath or suffer with other body odors will benefit from eating plenty of green leafy vegetables as the chlorophyll serves as a natural deodorizer.
Eating raw or only lightly cooked greens will help to obtain as much chlorophyll as possible from the vegetable. Also, the darker the leaves, the more chlorophyll the veggies contain.
Healthy PH Levels
For your body to function optimally it needs to maintain the correct pH balance. Sometimes the body can be too acidic or too alkaline. The type of diet that many people have these days tends to lean towards eating foods that induce the production of too much acid.
Examples of these foods may include some meats, refined grains, artificial sweeteners, pasteurized dairy, processed sugar and a lot of fatty foods. When these acid-forming foods are being ingested on a regular basis, one can no longer expect their immune system to be functioning at a healthy level. This is because these acid-forming foods can turn your body into a breeding ground for illnesses which may range from the common cold to heart disease or even cancer.
Keeping your pH level within an acceptable range can significantly help you achieve and maintain your best possible health. This can be greatly assisted by eating alkaline-forming foods such as turnip greens, spinach, Swiss chard, kale and broccoli. Alkaline forming foods will help create the right environment within your body that is necessary for your immune system to be in peak condition.
Intestinal Balance
A study revealed that the T-bet gene inside our body responds actively when green leafy vegetables are consumed. The T-bet gene plays a crucial role in the production of critical immune cells inside the gut. These immune cells, which are also referred to as ILCs or Innate Lymphoid Cells, reside in the lining of the digestive system and work to protect the body against the invasion of bad bacteria in the intestine.
This assists in the prevention of inflammatory diseases, food allergies, obesity and bowel cancer.
Better Eye Health
Dark green leafy vegetables contain carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin that are found in concentrated amounts in the eye lens and in the macular region of the retina. Regular consumption of dark green leafy veggies can help prevent the occurrence of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
There are also studies which showed that lutein and zeaxanthin can help reduce the risk of lung cancer and breast cancer.
So far, from being an old wives’ tale handed down from generation to generation, green leafy vegetables are very good for you, so make sure you pass it on!
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