Vegetables and Fruits

Book excerpt: The modern synthetic diet, formulated to appeal to our inherent attraction to sugar, salt, fats, and calories at the expense of nutrition, leaves us over-fed and under-nourished. A considerable portion of chronic human diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, appear to be related largely to a diet that is inadequate in the essential vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and other constituents found in natural, unprocessed foods. Employing a no-nonsense, tabular format, Vegetables and Fruits: Nutritional and Therapeutic Values presents detailed information on nutritional and therapeutic constituents and their applications for more than 200 vegetables and fruits currently available in North American markets. Edited by one of the world’s best known and respected researchers, this comprehensive reference guide begins with a general introduction to essential human values such as protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. Five tables list nutritional and therapeutic values, vitamin and mineral content, and flavonoid, isoflavone, and carotenoid presence in raw vegetables. The sixth presents uses of vegetables and fruits to maintain health and fight disease. Five appendices provide lists of scientific and English names, as well as a review of chemical compounds and their sources. Today, dietitians agree that plant foods should comprise the major part of the healthy human diet. Moreover, they have determined that fruits and vegetables are the keys to obtaining not just adequate vitamins and minerals, but a wide variety of other elements that can contribute therapeutically to human health. With the increasing emphasis on good nutrition and healthy eating, this handy guide is crucial to ensuring optimal nutrition from a plant-based diet.