Good Health: Role of Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Proper nourishment is must for good health and vitality. Human happiness is linked to physical & mental health and employment. Productivity targets can only be achieved if we have good health. Balanced food or diet is must for building strong and fortified bodies. The best preventive medicine is nutrition. Only the individuals with strong immunity would have long lifespan. Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is must to acquire vigor and vitality. Fruits are unique in their flavors and taste. Fruits are known to attract eyes and enhance production of digestive juices.

Biological definition of fruits is different from the general notion. Fruits are produced from flowers or flower and are tissues of ripened ovaries or ovary along with adjacent tissue too. Fruits are eaten fresh or dry whereas majority of the vegetables are cooked. Fleshy, pulpy or juicy parts of fruits are eaten raw or used in food preparations. Let us look at the nutritive value of fruits:

Carbohydrates are energy constituents of fruits. The important fruit carbohydrates (sugars) are sucrose, fructose, dextrose and glucose. The water content in fruits is around 85%. A small amount of protein and traces of fat are also present in some fruits. Fruits are rich is indigestible fibre, minerals and vitamins. The caloric value of fruits is very high as compared to vegetables.

Fruits are rich source of vitamin-C. We know that vitamin-C boosts our immunity and saves us from scurvy. Vitamin-C is very strong anti-oxidant and protects us from ionizing radiation. It is known to heal bleeding gums. The citrus fruits are most dependable source of vitamin-C and are available around the year. Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica, Amla) is the richest known source of vitamin-C. The fruit pulp of Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica, Amla) has been reported to have 0.6% vitamin-C (i.e. 600 mg per 100 grams of fruit pulp).

The B-vitamins are in very low concentration in fruits. However fruits like grapes, pineapple, banana and custard apple have fairly good amount of B-vitamins. Deep orange and yellow colored fruits are an excellent source of b-carotene (precursor of vitamin-A). Vitamin-A is an essential nutrient for our optic nerves. So, consumption of fruits containing b-carotene (precursor of vitamin-A) would protect us from nutritional blindness. Papayas and mangoes are the best source of b-carotene (precursor of vitamin-A). Oranges, musk-melons, cape gooseberries, carrots and tomatoes are also a good source of b-carotene.

Calcium and minerals act as building materials of our skeleton as well as soft tissues. These are also regulators of metabolic functions. Iron is an essential component of hemoglobin. Iron, calcium and phosphorus are found in fairly good quantity in fruits. Apples, guavas, watermelons, raspberries, apricots, black grapes, dates and figs may contribute appreciable amount of iron to our diet. Fruits are also a rich source of cellulose and hemicelluloses which are also called complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides). Cellulose and hemicelluloses contribute to the indigestible bulk in the diet. Due to their fibre content fruits act as natural laxatives.

Aromatic compounds like methylbutyrate, higher esters or phenol derivatives give characteristic flavour and odour to fruits. Tannins present in some fruits have bitter taste and astringent action. Fruits containing tannins like gooseberries (Phyllanthus emblica, Amla) and Terminalia chebula (Harad or Haritaki) are good for our digestive system. Tannins are most commonly found in large number of raw (immature) fruits and some vegetables too. One must eat around 200gm fruits daily for good health and vitality.

Are We Born Vegetarian Or Non-vegetarian

The natural features of an animal are considered to define its vegetarian of non-vegetarian instinct. The cattle eat grass, plant leaves and soft branches rich in cellulose. Cellulose is digested by these animals as their digestive system secrete cellulase enzyme required for the breakdown of cellulose. So, cattle are vegetarian in nature as they are capable of digesting cellulose rich food due to the presence of cellulase in their stomach where as cellulose is not produced in our stomach, so, we are not vegetarian. On the contrary the teeth of non-vegetarian animals are pointed and sharp but human beings do not have such teeth, so, we are not non-vegetarian also. If you go through the theory of evolution you would find that man had been evolved out of monkey, so our dietary habits and instinct should be like those of monkeys. Monkeys eat fruits and are fruitarian, so we are also fruitarian like our ancestors.

If we eat only fresh fruits like monkeys, we would be more healthy, active and energetic. Fruits are rich in good quality sugar, the fructose which is quickly metabolized. Fruits are the natural and the richest source of minerals and vitamins. Citrus fruits like orange and lemon are rich source of vitamin-C. Red and yellow fruits and vegetables like papaya, tomatoes and carrots are rich in vitamin-A. Vitamin-B, C, folic acid and minerals are almost in all fruits. Bananas are rich in calcium. Grapes are a natural source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, sugar and antioxidants. If you go through the history of mankind, you would find that ancient saints used to live in forests and eat lot of fresh fruits and raw vegetables (salad) instead of cooked food and lived longer than us. Antioxidants present in fruits are known to slow down the ageing process, so it is always beneficial to eat fruits for health and longevity.

Eating fruits is better than drinking fruit juice since the chewing action would add saliva to the fruit pulp in our mouth and initiate digestive process. Eating fruits is good for the health of our gums and teeth since fruits are non sticky. Dry fruits are rich source of good fat and minerals also. Diabetics can eat dry fruits and less sweet fruits like melons and oranges in addition to salad (tomatoes, cucumber, onions, radish and cabbage). Apples and guavas are available through out the year and are rich source of vitamin-C, iron and other minerals. People suffering from chronic constipation should eat fruits and salad before any cooked meal for the beneficial effect of fruits in alleviating the constipation.

Food For Health And Fitness

Health is not mere absence of disease or infirmity but a state of complete physical, mental and social well being. An optimal amount of balanced diet is essential for individuals of all age groups. Environmental factors do influence our dietary requirements. Food is essential to build up the body to make it fit for wear and tear and cope with environmental conditions and infectious agents. Food acts as fuel for the production of heat and energy in our body. Our nutritional requirements include adequate proportions of protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, minerals and vitamins.

Daily requirement of an adult is in the range of 60 to 80 grams of protein, 300 to 400 grams of carbohydrates (starches and sugars), 70 to 100 grams of fat, 3-5 grams of salt and minerals and some milligrams/units of vitamins. Vitamins are an integral part of some food stuffs. Proteins are of two types. Animal proteins are rich in essential amino-acids, but plant proteins lack certain essential amino-acids. There are 8 essential amino-acids and a complete protein food should contain at least 5 of them. We require a mixed diet that is a diet consisting of foodstuffs derived from animals and plants as no single article of food contains all the essential proportions of diet materials cited above. Milk and cheese are rich source of casein, a protein. Eggs and meat are rich source of essential amino-acids containing proteins. Other sources of proteins are Soya beans, pulses and agar-agar. Water constitutes 80 to 85 per cent of our daily diet intake. Fruits and vegetables are rich source of carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Vegetable oils are source of fat with unsaturated fatty acids. Different foodstuffs have different heat generating value that is Caloric value. One gram of protein has a heat value of 4 Calories, 1 gram of carbohydrate also has 4 Calories and 1 gram of fat has a heat value of 9 Calories. The Caloric value of a balanced diet for an adult male per day should be 2500 to 3000 Calories. A woman needs about 2200 Calories daily for good health and fitness.