Health Benefits and Nutrient Content of Vegetables

Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, string beans, and celery contain fiber which slows down their absorption helping to delay the emptying of the stomach and thereby smoothing out the absorption of sugars into the blood.

In addition to the high levels of fiber, these vegetables contain water, antioxidants, protein, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and specific saccharides that help nourish, protect and cleanse the body; and, support cell-to-cell communications. 

Specifically, vegetables contain pigment-related phytonutrients called polyphenols, flavonoids and carotenoids that promote cardiovascular health. 

Polyphenols are in the deeper-colored plant foods such as blueberries, strawberries, grapes, and green tea. 

Flavonoids can be found in teas and olives. Carotenoids can be found in orange and yellow foods such as cantaloupe, carrots and sweet potatoes.

Some of these specific phytonutrients include the following:

• Neoxanthin carotenoid and chlorophyll (in green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, collards and kale)
• Lycopene carotenoid (in red foods such as tomatoes)
• Anthocyanins (in purple foods such as beets)
• Allicin (in white foods such as garlic, mushrooms, onions)
• Capsanthin carotenoid (in red foods such as paprika, red bell peppers, and red chili peppers)
• Alpha/beta carotene (in orange foods such as pumpkin)
• Indole glucosinolate (in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and Brussel sprouts)
• Lutein carotenoid (in yellow-green foods such as kale, spinach, parsley, peas, carrots and squash)
• Quercetin flavonoid (in onions)
• The polyphenols ellagic acid and tannins in green tea.

It is well known that the chlorophyll in wheat grass and vegetables detoxifies carcinogens found in cooked muscle meats or barbecued foods. Chlorophyll has also been recognized for its anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and antioxidant properties. Chlorophyll has been cited as strengthening the immune response; therapeutic for inflammation of the ear and the mucous membrane of the nose and sinuses; supportive of normal kidney function; accelerating wound and ulcer healing; and reducing fecal, urinary and body odor in geriatric patients. This makes chlorophyll very beneficial to diabetics.

Vegetables also contain Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folic acid, and enzymes that are beneficial to diabetics. These nutrients help to prevent inflammation and fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease by preventing/killing cancer cells, breaking down homocysteine to prevent plaque buildup, and relaxing the artery walls to prevent high blood pressure. Vegetables contain soluble fiber, which has a lowering effect on blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

Vegetables such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale of the cruciferous (cabbage) family contain Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and Diindolylmethane (DIM), phytonutrients that have been found to provide protection from certain cancers. 

Indole-3-carbinol is a member of the class of sulfur-containing chemicals called glucosinolates that is formed from parent compounds whenever cruciferous vegetables are crushed or cooked. Indole-3-carbinol and other glucosinolates (e.g. sulforaphane) are antioxidants and potent stimulators of natural detoxifying enzymes in the body. Indole-3-carbinol and other glucosinolates are believed to be responsible for the lowered risk of cancer by increasing the conversion of the bad estrogen (estradiol) to a weaker estrogen (estrone), protecting against breast and prostate cancers.

Diindolylmethane (DIM) improves the breakdown and synthesis of substances in the body by improving the balance of testosterone and estrogen (estradiol). One of the many glucosinolates, sulforaphane, found in broccoli, protects the body against colon cancer. Interestingly, the bioavailability of indoles is increased by light cooking (e.g. steaming).

Vegetables such as garlic, onion, leek, asparagus, shallots, chive and scallions are members of the allium family that contain thiosulfonates, which are known to promote a more favorable HDL-LDL ratio, less inflammation, lower blood pressure and increase immunity. But they have also been found to provide protection from certain cancers. Like their cruciferous cousins, when thiosulfonates are cut or smashed, the sulfur compounds release biotransformation products, including allicin, ajoene, allylic sulfides, vinyl dithin and D-allyl mercaptocysteine.

Some of these are considered anti-atherosclerotic, antioxidant, or anti-cancer agents, while others are antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and an inhibitor of platelet aggregation. As a result, all of these foods are very beneficial to diabetics.

Vegetables such as spinach and rhubarb contain organic acids that act primarily as antioxidants, cancer preventives, liver protectors and inflammatory mediators. The acids include oxalic in spinach, rhubarb, tea and coffee; cinnamic in aloe and cinnamon; caffeic in burdock and hawthorn; ferulic in oats and rice; gallic in tea, coumaric in turmeric; salicylic in spearmint; and tannic in nettles, tea and berries.