To Reduce Calories, Know The Number Of Vegetables And Fruits Your Body Needs Per Day

Illustration of servings of fruit and vegetables per day (Unsplash/Joanie Simon)

JAKARTA – The only way to reduce weight and maintain health is to cut the portion of calorie food consumption. Not that the body does not need calories, but calorie intake can be limited by covering nutritional needs with vegetables and fruit.

The amount of vegetables and fruit too, reported by Harvard Medical School, Friday, September 3, also needs to be measured. Because every fruit and vegetable has a meaningful content, so that the portion is measurable and more easily managed by the body's mechanisms.

A study published in March 2021 by the journal Circulation analyzed dozens of studies from around the world involving 2 million people over 30 years. This study compared two groups of people with two models of daily eating patterns.

The first group ate 2 servings of fruit or vegetables per day and the second group ate 5 servings per day. His findings, the risk of death was 13 lower in the second group. The risk of death from heart disease or stroke is 12 percent lower, the risk of death from cancer is 10 percent lower, and respiratory disease is 35 percent.

Lead author of the study and the team from the School of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Daniel Wang said that fruits and vegetables are the main source of getting health. He added, vegetables and fruit maintain a healthy heart and blood vessels.

"Antioxidant plant compounds such as potassium, magnesium, fiber, and polyphenols are present in vegetables and fruits," said doctor Wang.

Further advice, in a day requires an effective combination of vegetables and fruit. Study participants consumed two servings of fruit plus three servings of vegetables per day. A total of 5 servings to get a healthy life.

Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale and fruit rich in vitamin C and beta carotene in oranges, berries, and carrots.

"This is a major source of antioxidants that may play a role in preventing cancer," said Dr. Wang further.

Illustration of daily fruit needs (Unsplash/Jannis Brandt)

The number of vegetables and fruit in a day, as follows:

Apples, oranges, apricots, bananas, pears, medium-sized fresh plums can be consumed 1 fruit per day. Mango, avocado, fresh grapefruit medium size. Canned, frozen, and other processed fruit cup. Strawberries, grapes, fresh blueberries cup. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, eggplant, kale, sweet potatoes cup. 2 medium size fresh tomatoes. Mental spinach 1 cup while processed spinach ½ cup. Lettuce, romaide lettuce, collard greens 1 cup. Corn cup. Carrots both raw and processed as much as cup. Celery 2-3 stalks. Onion 1 slice.

Even more interesting, it turns out that consuming more than 5 servings does not provide additional benefits in reducing the risk of death from chronic diseases. This means, if you eat too much vegetables and fruit, it will not be more beneficial.

Furthermore, you and your family need to know how much is the most appropriate amount to get optimal benefits. Well, if you don't eat vegetables and fruit for a day, explained Dr. Wang, it won't make you faint either.

It just needs to be added up on other days based on the weekly average. Doctor Wang also said that major changes were not necessary.

You only need to make small changes, such as breakfast a bowl of cereal by adding a few blueberries or eggs, tomatoes, onions, or spinach.