Fruits and vegetables are the role of human nutrition. The physiological significance of vegetables, fruits and berries. Importance of fruits and vegetables in human nutrition

To maintain normal human life, as is known, in addition to water, a whole group of nutrients: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral salts.

Along with the main food products, which are bread, meat, dairy and other products, potatoes, vegetables and fruits play an extremely important role in the human diet. They serve as the main suppliers of vitamins and other biologically active substances, easily digestible carbohydrates, pectin, mineral salts, organic acids, fiber, tannins and aromatic substances.

Certain biologically active substances are inherent in each type of vegetables and fruits: some of them improve metabolic processes, neutralize acids formed during the digestion of meat and dairy foods, normalize blood pressure, others strengthen the walls of blood vessels, give them elasticity, reduce cholesterol in the blood and fluid in the body.

In addition to their nutritional value, potatoes, vegetables and fruits have many medicinal properties, which have been known since ancient times.

Currently, their use for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes is put on a scientific basis.

The diverse impact of vegetables and fruits consumed in food on the human body is manifested primarily in the regulation of the activity of the digestive and cardiovascular systems, in maintaining the acid-base balance in the body. It prevents the development of a number of diseases, especially atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular disorders, as well as impaired fat and salt metabolism. The effect of fresh vegetables and fruits on the digestive organs is felt immediately after ingestion and is manifested in increased secretory activity of the digestive glands.

The importance of various vitamins is especially multifaceted. For example, provitamin A (carotene) is a growth vitamin. There is a lot of it in carrots, spinach, tomatoes, onion leaves, parsley, in the fruits of sea buckthorn, plums, rose hips. In the human body, carotene turns into vitamin A, with a lack of which eye disease (night blindness) develops, and the body's resistance to other diseases decreases.

B group vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B8, PP, etc.) contribute to the metabolism in the body. Lack of vitamin B1 is characterized by a sharp disorder of the nervous and cardiac activity. Lack of vitamin B2, which is part of a number of enzymes, leads to growth retardation or weight loss, weakness, weakening of vision and the formation of cataracts, skin and nervous disorders. Vitamin PP takes an active part in metabolism. With its deficiency, the functions of the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system are disturbed. Sources of vitamins B1, B2, PP are potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach, onions, apples, pears.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) protects against scurvy, nervous system disorders and general prostration. Its main sources are: rose hips, sea buckthorn, black currants, strawberries, apples, peppers, kohlrabi, white cabbage, horseradish, lettuce, spinach, onion leaves, dill, parsley, potatoes. Cabbage juice contains the recently discovered vitamin U, which helps treat stomach and duodenal ulcers.

Many vegetables contain aromatic substances that increase appetite, promote the absorption of food (dill, tarragon, cumin, basil, marjoram, savory, parsley, celery, garlic, onion, etc.), phytoncides, which have a detrimental effect on pathogens (radish, horseradish, pepper, onion, garlic).

Fruits, berries, vegetables, both fresh and processed, must be included in the weekly diet of a person. Fruit and vegetable salads, side dishes and seasonings are good for any dish. Many food products from vegetables and fruits have dietary properties and are of particular importance in baby food. From the age of 5-6 months, for the proper development of the child, in addition to mother's milk, it is recommended to introduce vegetable puree, fruit and berry kissels and vegetable soups into the diet, gradually accustoming the child to the consumption of finely pureed fresh fruits and vegetables.

Particular attention should be paid to the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits in winter and spring, when there is an acute lack of vitamins in the body. To prevent beriberi during this period, fresh apples, onion leaves, parsley, greenhouse or room distillation celery, fruit and vegetable juices, salads from fresh and sauerkraut and carrots, etc. should be included in the diet.

The Institute of Nutrition of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR developed and scientifically substantiated the norms of annual consumption of fruits and vegetables per person: potatoes - 110 kg, vegetables - 122, gourds - 31, fruits and berries - 106 kg.

Despite the significant production of fruits and vegetables in the Rostov region, this level has not yet been reached. In addition, there is a very strong seasonal fluctuation in the consumption of vegetables and fruits - an excess in the second half of summer and autumn and a shortage in other seasons, especially in spring.

Vegetables are of great importance in human nutrition. To eat right means to correctly combine plant and animal food in accordance with age, the nature of work, and the state of health. When we eat meat, fats, eggs, bread, cheese, acidic inorganic compounds are formed in the body. To neutralize them, you need basic, or alkaline, salts, which vegetables and potatoes are rich in. Green vegetables contain the highest amount of acid-neutralizing compounds.

Consumption of vegetables helps to prevent many serious diseases, increases the tone and performance of a person. In many countries of the world, in the treatment of various diseases with dietary nutrition, fresh vegetables occupy a leading position. They are rich in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which ensures normal carbohydrate metabolism and helps to eliminate toxic substances from the body, resistance to many diseases, and reduces fatigue. Many vegetables contain B vitamins that affect human performance. Vitamins A, E, K, PP (nicotinic acid) are present in green peas, cauliflower and green vegetables. In cabbage there is a vitamin and that prevents the development of duodenal ulcer.

Organic acids, essential oils and vegetable enzymes improve the absorption of proteins and fats, enhance the secretion of juices, and promote digestion. The composition of onions, garlic, horseradish, radish includes phytoncides with bactericidal properties (destroy pathogens). Tomatoes, peppers, leaf parsley are rich in phytoncides. Almost all vegetables are suppliers of ballast substances - fiber and pectin, which improve bowel function, help to remove excess cholesterol and harmful digestive products from the body. Some vegetables, such as cucumber, have a low nutritional value, but due to their content of proteolytic enzymes, when consumed, they have a positive effect on metabolism. Green vegetables are of particular value. When fresh, they are not only better and more fully absorbed by humans, but also help (with enzymes) digestion of meat and fish in the body. At the same time, when cooked, greens lose a significant part of their useful properties.

To meet the need for vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, acids, salts, an adult needs to consume daily more than 700 g (37%) of food of animal origin and more than 1200 g (63%) of vegetable, including 400 g of vegetables. The annual need for vegetables per person varies depending on the region of the country and is 126-146 kg, including various types of cabbage 35-55 kg, tomatoes 25-32, cucumbers 10-13, carrots 6-10, beets 5 - 10, onions 6 - 10, eggplants 2 - 5, sweet peppers 1 - 3, green peas 5 - 8, melons 20 - 30, other vegetables 3 - 7.

Vegetables increase the digestibility of proteins, fats, minerals. Added to protein foods and cereals, they enhance the secretory effect of the latter, and when used together with fat, they remove its inhibitory effect on gastric secretion. It is important to note that undiluted vegetable and fruit juices reduce the secretory function of the stomach, while diluted ones increase it.

Vegetables as food occupy a special place in the human diet. Their nutritional value is due to the content of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, enzymes, hormones, minerals and other substances. According to the methods of eating, all vegetable crops are divided into three groups: vegetables, consumed mainly raw; vegetables consumed both raw and processed; vegetables consumed mainly in processed form (heat treatment, canning, drying, freezing).

Mostly raw salad vegetables are eaten: leaf lettuce, head lettuce, all types of lettuce chicory, watercress, watercress, radish, radish, onion leaves, horseradish, katran.

In raw and processed form, they use: tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, watermelons, peppers, carrots, white cabbage, Peking cabbage, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabagas, onions, garlic, leeks, peas, herbs, parsley, petiole celery and root, spinach, sorrel.

In processed form, they use: pumpkin, zucchini, squash, beans, asparagus, rhubarb, eggplant, parsnips, root parsley, mushrooms.

Vitamins. This is a group of biologically active organic compounds contained in very small quantities and necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. Of the water-soluble vitamins in vegetables, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an important component of redox processes in the body, which increases its protective reactions; vitamin PP (niacin, nicotinic acid), which regulates digestion, liver function, cholesterol metabolism and the formation of red blood cells. Especially rich in vitamin PP green peas, carrots, potatoes, red peppers. Vitamin B c (folic acid) is involved in the work of hematopoietic organs, the synthesis of nucleic acids and choline, and increases resistance to chemicals. It is found mainly in green vegetables and beans.

Vitamins B, (thiamine), B, (riboflavin), B 3 (pantothenic acid), H (biotin) participate in the regulation of carbohydrate and fat metabolism, the specific effect on the digestive organs, the mucous membrane of the mouth, and the digestive tract. These vitamins are found in green peas, leeks, cauliflower and red cabbage.

Vegetables also contain vitamin-like substances: vitamin B 4 (choline), which is involved in fat metabolism, vitamin B 8 (inositol), which normalizes metabolism in the nervous tissue, stimulates intestinal activity, and reduces cholesterol in the blood. Vitamin U (methylmethionine sulfonium chloride), contained in cabbage juice, is used in the treatment of peptic ulcer of the gastrointestinal tract.

Fat-soluble vitamins in vegetables are p-carotene, which is converted in the liver to retinol (provitamin A), which is necessary for growth and development, the normal functioning of mucous membranes and tissues. It is found mainly in orange-colored vegetables: carrots, red peppers, pumpkins, as well as spinach, garlic leaves, dill, lettuce, parsley.

Vitamin E (tocopherol, reproduction vitamin), which is rich in green peas, onion and parsley leaves, spinach and leeks, is an active antioxidant involved in liver metabolism, supports reproduction function.

Minerals. Vegetables are the main suppliers of alkaline elements. Consuming them neutralizes the acidic reaction of digestion. Vegetables contain: calcium, which regulates physiological and biochemical processes; magnesium, which normalizes the activity of the heart and nervous system and stimulates bile secretion and excretion of toxins from the body; potassium, which regulates cardiac activity and water-salt regime; phosphorus. Vegetables are an important supplier of iron, iodine, molybdenum, fluorine, zinc, manganese, copper and other trace elements.

Protein. Vegetable crops are relatively poor in protein, but many vegetables contain all the essential amino acids. The most protein-rich are beans, green peas, beans, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, kohlrabi, parsley, spinach. In terms of protein output per unit area, individual vegetable crops are superior to cereals.

Carbohydrates. Contained in all vegetable crops. Represented mainly by mono- and disaccharides, to a lesser extent by starch (potato, sweet potato and green peas). The carbohydrate content ranges from 2.2% for lettuce to 19.7% for potatoes. Carbohydrates mainly determine the energy value of vegetables. An important component of vegetables is polysaccharides: fiber (cellulose) and pectin. Both compounds belong to the group of plant fibers. Fiber contained in vegetable crops (from 0.3% in zucchini to 3.5% in dill), and pectin substances stimulate intestinal motility, bind and remove harmful products from the body, including carcinogenic, toxic substances resulting from digestion and activity of microorganisms.

organic acids. Vegetables contain mainly citric, oxalic and malic acids. When vegetables are consumed, they quickly decompose and do not neutralize the alkaline salts contained in the product. Acids give a pleasant taste to vegetables and processed products and, in sufficient quantities, prevent the development of botulinum bacteria in processed products.

Oxalic acid with excessive consumption of vegetables containing it (sorrel, spinach, rhubarb) can be an anti-nutritional factor that prevents the absorption of calcium, magnesium, manganese. Essential oils, aromatic substances. There are two groups of essential oils in vegetables: containing and not containing sulfur. Sulfur-free oils are found in vegetable plants of the Celery (parsley, carrot, dill, fennel, parsnip, lovage, etc.), Aster (tarragon) and Lamiaceae (mint, lemon balm, hyssop, snakehead, marjoram, etc.) families. Essential oils containing sulfur are divided into nitrogen-containing and nitrogen-free. The former are present mainly in vegetables of the Cabbage (horseradish, radish, cabbage, turnip, rutabaga) and Onion (garlic, onion) families. Asparagus, leeks and chives contain nitrogen-free substances. Essential oils and other aromatic substances improve the taste of vegetable dishes, give them piquancy, increase appetite, and improve food digestion.

Energy value (caloric content) of vegetables. The energy value of vegetables is low. Potatoes, green peas, beans, Brussels sprouts and beets have the highest rates. The low calorie content of vegetables makes them a valuable product for the prevention of obesity.

Phytoncides. Many vegetables of the Cabbage, Onion, Lami, Aster families contain phytoncides, essential oils and other compounds that have a pronounced antimicrobial effect. The most strongly phytoncidal effect is expressed in horseradish, onion and garlic, radish and radish, mint. Vegetables are superior to other foods (meat, bread, milk) in their ability to increase the secretion of gastric juice in humans. The adaptogenic and stimulating effect of vegetables on the human body is generally recognized, especially in stressful situations. Many vegetable plants have been introduced into the culture as medicinal.

Harmful substances. In addition to substances useful for the human body, due to biological characteristics and violations of agricultural technology, vegetables may contain harmful components (anti-food toxic substances). Anti-food substances also include chemical compounds that are non-toxic to the body and impair the absorption of other nutrients.

Toxic substances include toxic amino acids included in proteins, nitrates and nitrites that accumulate in vegetables with unbalanced nitrogen nutrition of plants and other conditions unfavorable for protein synthesis (poor light, overheating). When the soil is contaminated, vegetables can accumulate a large amount of radionuclides (strontium-90, cesium-137), as well as salts of heavy metals. Especially in large quantities, radionuclides accumulate in the leaves of plants.

Vegetables are low-calorie foods: 100 g of fresh vegetables gives from 25 to 50 kcal, and vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, radish, onion, lettuce, spinach - up to 25 kcal. The most high-calorie are green peas, beans, sweet corn, garlic, horseradish, potatoes (from 70 to 100 kcal). The low calorie content of vegetables is associated with the presence of a large amount of water in them - 85-95%. Despite this, vegetables play an important role in human nutrition. They contain easily digestible carbohydrates, proteins, vegetable fats, vitamins, mineral salts, organic acids, trace elements, essential oils, phytoncides, enzymes. All the essential amino acids needed by a person are found in vegetable proteins. Plant fibers, so necessary for maintaining health, also provide vegetables.

Mineral salts (especially potassium, calcium and phosphorus) contribute to the normal course of physiological processes in the body. Organic acids and essential oils improve the appetite and taste of vegetables, promote the absorption of food by the body.

A very important part of vegetables are biologically active substances - vitamins. They improve digestion, metabolism, regulate blood pressure and blood formation, increase the body's resistance to various diseases, strengthen the nervous system, regulate the activity of the thyroid gland, liver, vascular system, etc.

The most essential vitamins for humans are: vitamin A (carotene), vitamin B (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B9 (folic acid), vitamin D (anti-rachitic), vitamin P (rutin) , vitamin PP (nicotinic acid), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (a mixture of tocopherols), vitamin K (phylloquinone). We get all these and a number of other vitamins in the required amount with vegetables.

Phytoncides of onions, garlic, horseradish, radishes, carrots and spices are antiseptics that kill viruses and other harmful microorganisms. Onion juice helps to lower blood sugar, cabbage juice - to prevent the development of stomach and duodenal ulcers. Cucumber juice is rich in enzymes and trace elements. Betaine and betanine of beets, together with vitamin P, lower blood pressure, promotes hematopoiesis. Betanin inhibits the development of malignant tumors, and betaine improves liver function.

Vegetables are most valuable when consumed fresh. The science of nutrition has established that the consumption of vegetables, melons and potatoes per capita per year should be (kg): white cabbage - 32-50; cauliflower, kohlrabi and other types - 3-5; tomatoes - 25-32; cucumbers - 10-15; carrots - 6-10; table beets - 8-10; onion - 6-10; zucchini and eggplant - 5; radish, radish, green, spicy and perennial - up to 10; gourds (watermelon, melon, pumpkin) -25-30; potatoes - 90-110.

Obtaining high-quality crop production requires the implementation of a number of technological processes associated with the organization and agricultural technology of growing vegetable plants. This is their placement on the site, methods of preparing the soil and caring for it: methods of sowing and planting, preparing seeds and growing seedlings; application of fertilizers, irrigation; pest and disease control; technology of growing vegetables under polymer films, in insulated soil and greenhouses. Strict adherence to these recommendations allows you to get high yields of vegetable crops.

The value of fruits in human nutrition is imperceptible at first glance, but it is irreplaceable by taking pharmacological mineral-vitamin complexes. This is because the role of fruits in nutrition is not limited to the supply of minerals and vitamins in combination with other types of nutrients. The main benefit of fruits in nutrition is the regulation of all digestive processes due to pectins, fructose and vegetable fiber.

If no one doubts the benefits of vegetables, then many misconceptions are associated with fruits. At the same time, people often fall into one of two extremes: either temporarily almost completely switch to eating fruits (“They are so healthy!”), Or they try to exclude individual fruits from daily consumption (“They are sweet!”).

Useful properties of fruits

The beneficial properties of fruits begin with the fact that they are able to quickly satisfy hunger and saturate the blood with easily digestible fructose. Love for cakes and pastries will sooner or later negatively affect the figure. It is better to replace them with sweet fruits. These are also sweets, only more useful.

Dried fruits: dried apricots, prunes, etc. - should always be on your menu. Eat them instead of sweets when you really crave sweets. But dry fruits alone are not enough. In addition to them, you need to eat any three fruits a day, such as an apple, peach, kiwi.

What are the benefits of fruits for humans

You need to figure out how fruits are useful for a person who limits himself to his usual diet and adheres to a particular diet. You have probably heard that if you want to lose weight, bananas should be excluded from the menu. Like, it's better to eat a pie than a banana. Is it true? No, this is another myth. If there are no medical contraindications, primarily diabetes and allergies, then we are talking only about quantitative restrictions on bananas.

It is impossible to exclude any products from the diet of a practically healthy person. The first principle of a balanced diet is variety. By the way, the calorie content of 100 grams of bananas is 96 kcal, and a pie is 200-250 kcal. Calculate for yourself what you should prefer.

fruit intake

The intake of fruits not only does not saturate the body with extra calories, but also allows you to get rid of harmful addictions to sweet foods. The misconception about the high calorie content of fruits is very popular. To debunk it, I’ll say right away: the average energy value of fruits does not exceed 50-60 kcal. For example, in 100 grams of apples there are 45 kcal, in 100 grams of oranges - 40 kcal.

Bananas are somewhat higher in calories. But these are not the calories that remain in the body in the form of a fat layer. Most of them are not absorbed due to dietary fiber, which reduces the absorption of carbohydrates.

Checked by personal experience and the experience of patients: if in the morning or before 16-17 hours you manage to have a snack with three sweet fruits or eat a sweet fruit as soon as you want something sweet (in addition to the main meal), then very soon you will find that you remember less about favorite non-diet sweets. And a little later, they will begin to seem cloyingly sweet to you after fruit. If you try to stick to this rule for one to two weeks, you will easily part with three extra pounds without changing anything in your diet, only replacing sweets with three sweet fruits as a snack.

Bananas in small quantities are allowed even with uncomplicated diabetes mellitus, since they are dominated by fructose, which does not require as much insulin to assimilate as glucose does.

Thus, a person, feeling a sweet taste, enjoys food, while fructose itself is partially excreted along with.

Even the sweetest fruits, including bananas, are low-calorie foods!

There are recommendations in the literature that fruits should be eaten separately from other foods. What is it connected with? In addition to protein dishes, fruits and vegetables should form the basis of our menu. Their number in the diet should also be controlled, and this is quite simple to do. As has been repeatedly mentioned, you need to set yourself a clear goal: eat three fruits and two vegetable salads a day. Salads can be tied to the main meals - for lunch and dinner. But it is better to snack on fruits, without mixing them with other food. Firstly, this way you will enjoy their taste as much as possible. Secondly, there is no need to increase the amount of food consumed for breakfast, lunch and dinner - it is already enough. Do not stretch the walls of the stomach.

The effect of fruits on the human body

In order to enhance the effect of fruits on the human body, in the morning you can eat some juicy, soft, sweet fruit, if there are no contraindications - diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage. And do not forget that during the day you have to eat at least two more fruits between main meals.

Are fruits combined with dairy and sour-milk products? It really does fit everything! If you do not want to give up your favorite fruit yogurts and curds, then you do not need to do this. The same cottage cheese contains proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. No one chemically removes any of the components from it. Proper nutrition is a varied diet. And any nutritionist will attest that mixed foods are one way to provide variety. By adding a banana to the cottage cheese, you will enrich the dish, increase its benefits.

In recent years, the number one enemy of health is the general pollution of the body, in connection with which it is recommended to completely cleanse the lymph at least once a year. What is required for such a "general cleaning"? Just for three days in a row, there are lemons, oranges and grapefruits in a simple pattern. What can be said about this? If possible, then citrus fruits should be consumed not three or even 33 days a year, but more often.

The benefits of including them in the diet are undeniable, but only if it is balanced. Another question is, are citrus fruits able to purify the lymph? Medicine does not have such information. Lymph is a liquid tissue of the body contained in the lymphatic vessels and nodes. It is formed as a result of the absorption of tissue fluid into the lymphatic vessels. If a person is healthy, the lymph nodes should not let anything superfluous into the lymph.

So eat your favorite fruits daily and the body will cleanse itself. Give him a broom!