DEAR DOCTOR,
I’m not very eager about consuming greens however I’ve heard about taking dietary supplements that may fill that hole and enhance my well being. What sort of dietary supplements would you advocate?
CLAIRE
DEAR CLAIRE,
Why are you not eager on consuming greens? Do you dislike the style or do you expertise any discomfort after consuming them?
Greens have a number of well being advantages. They supply fibre within the food plan which is beneficial for digestion and bowel actions. Thus, they forestall dyspeptic signs like burning chest and or higher stomach ache, nausea and or vomiting. Enhanced, common bowel actions forestall constipation. Good digestion stimulates urge for food and likewise ensures higher assimilation of vitamins from the meals consumed. Being low in energy, greens maintain dangerous blood lipid ranges low, improve wholesome lipid ranges, and stop weight problems and its resultant issues like hypertension, coronary heart issues, diabetes and arthritis of weight-bearing joints. Inexperienced leafy greens are wealthy in anti-oxidants which forestall breakdown of cells and helps in rejuvenating them and stop irritation. This prevents coronary heart ailments and cancers. Iron current maintains haemoglobin of blood, which provides oxygen within the physique, proper as much as degree of cells. They’re additionally wealthy supply of vitamin C which boosts immunity of the physique, thus serving to in stopping infectious ailments. The vitamin A gift in greens helps in strengthening imaginative and prescient. Excessive potassium content material of greens helps in sustaining electrolyte stability of physique and stopping hypertension.
One of many only a few disadvantages of greens is that they might be contaminated by evening soil, thus carrying threat of diarrheal ailments and typhoid. Some residue of pesticides sprayed might stay on greens, thus inflicting issues like heartburn, nausea, vomiting and or respiratory issues. However this may be prevented simply by completely washing the greens earlier than utilizing them. Some greens like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower might trigger flatulence if utilized in extra. Hardly ever, one might have allergy to some explicit vegetable. Seldom, one might have been suggested to limit spinach and tomatoes as a result of excessive uric acid ranges in blood. However aside from this, greens are very secure and wholesome as a meals merchandise.
Attributable to quick city life, there’s a pattern of skipping regular meals together with greens and taking dietary dietary supplements. This isn’t wholesome. Dietary supplements are helpful provided that there’s a recognized deficiency of some vitamins like iron. However they don’t present the fibre current in greens, which is critical for good digestion. Dietary supplements additionally can’t present micro vitamins current in greens, like zinc and different hint minerals.
One can see that the advantages of consuming greens prevail over any attainable hurt, and dietary supplements can’t substitute for recent greens. They are often eaten uncooked, fried, boiled, baked, steamed, i.e. may be consumed in so many types. Solely precaution wanted is to clean them completely earlier than consumption. Keep in mind, processed and tinned greens aren’t as helpful as recent ones.
Dr. Rachna Pande is a specialist inside medication
