Vegetables included in this category are artichokes, asparagus, aubergine, avocado, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, chilli, celery, lettuce, kale, cauliflower, peas, parsley, potatoes, pumpkin, seaweed, soya, tomatoes etc. Vegetables are other plant matter which is eaten as food. These include root vegetables (such as potatoes and carrots), leaf vegetables (such as spinach and lettuce), stem vegetables (such as bamboo shoots and asparagus), and inflorescence vegetables (such as globe artichokes and broccoli). Many herbs and spices are highly-flavorful vegetables.
Asparagus is high in folate content (20 to 50% of RDI per serving). Folate is a nutrient identified as being important for pregnant women. Pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamin A (as carotene), providing over 300 percent of the RDI. And canned pumpkin appears to have much more vitamin A than fresh-cooked pumpkin. This may be due to the fact canned pumpkin has more water cooked out of it than boiled pumpkin, and the varieties used for canning have intense orange color, a sure sign of carotene. Pumpkin is a good source of fiber and adds a little iron and folate to the diet as well. Sweet Bing cherries are a good source of fiber. They provide about two grams per 1/2 cup serving.
Sweet potato is one of the best vegetables you can eat. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Grape tomatos are sweeter and firmer than other tomatoes, and their bite-size shape makes them perfect for snacking, dipping, or salads. They're also packed with vitamin C and vitamin A, and you also get some fiber, some phytochemicals. Vegetables which are considered the best real foods are Onions which contain Quercetin is one of the most powerful flavonoids (natural plant antioxidants). Studies show it helps protect against cancer. Artichokes have the power of silymarin, an antioxidant that helps prevent skin cancer, plus fiber to help control cholesterol. Ginger contain gingerols which may help reduce queasiness; other compounds may help ward off migraines and arthritis pain by blocking inflammation-causing prostaglandins. Broccoli has Indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane, which help protect against breast cancer. Broccoli also has lots of vitamin C and beta-carotene. Spinach contain Lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that help fend off macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness in older people.
Bok Choy (Chinese cabbage) has Brassinin, which some research suggests may help prevent breast tumors, plus indoles and isothiocyanates, which lower levels of estrogen, make this vegetable a double-barreled weapon against breast cancer. sqash (Butternut, Pumpkin, Acorn), of which Winter squash has huge amounts of vitamin C and beta-carotene, which may help protect against endometrial cancer. Watercress and Arugula contain Phenethyl isothiocyanate, which, along with beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, may help keep cancer cells at bay. Garlic contain sulfur compounds that give garlic its pungent flavor can also lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, lower blood pressure and even reduce your risk of stomach and colon cancer. Kale is a vegetable that is rich in potent cancer-fighting substances called indoles, and loaded with bone-building vitamin K.
Dark Leafy Greens take the third place. Vegetables like chard and kale break down homocysteines, enzymes that in high levels are linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Fatty Fish is the fourth in the list. Fish like salmon, sardines and herring are packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, and research has shown that people who eat these fish at least once a week are less likely to get Alzheimer's disease. Spinach takes the fifth line in the rating. Research has shown that spinach slows down age-related problems in the central nervous system and cognitive deficits.
