Fruits and Veggies Have Many Health Benefits

         Fruit and vegetables are an important part of one's diet, as they take up a big portion of the food pyramid. The food pyramid can be found on mypyramid.gov.
         Alexandra Sampson, health and exercise science sophomore, said that fruits and vegetables have many healthy benefits.



         Vegetables specifically are rich in potassium, fiber, folate, and the vitamins A, E and C, according to mypyramid.gov. Folate helps the body form red blood cells. Vitamin A keeps your skin and eyes healthy. Vitamin E protects vitamin A and keeps essential fatty acids from cell oxidation. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption and keeps your teeth and gums healthy. It also helps you heal from cuts and wounds faster.
         Fruits contain many of the same nutrients that vegetables do, specifically potassium, fiber, and vitamin C.
         Heather Kirkes, Registered Dietician at OU, said students should be getting at least 2 to 3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
         “One serving of fruit would be a medium-sized piece about the size of a baseball. Veggies are one-half cup,” Kirkes said.
         Kirkes said some vegetables are different than others.
         “Some are starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes, and green beans," she said. "They contain more carbohydrates and are converted to sugar in the blood more quickly than vegetables such as spinach, celery, asparagus or broccoli, but they are still good for you.”
         There are different ways to prepare your vegetables, also. Kirkes said that raw vegetables have more vitamins and minerals because the cooking process can cause them to be leaked out into the water.
         “Steaming is a great way to cook veggies because it’s quick and helps to retain the vitamins and minerals,” Kirkes said.