In continuation of our discussion on the above topic, here are vegetable and fruit sources of two more vitamins. As we discussed last week, vitamins are antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and prevent cell damage by oxidative stress. Chronic degenerative diseases including premature aging and cancer are also prevented by this action of such vitamins.
Vitamin E
This vitamin protects against heart disease, cancer and age related conditions such as macular degeneration. It also plays a significant role in testosterone production and spermatozoa maturation. It is a must use for men with low sperm count and reduced libido.
Plant sources of vitamin E include; vegetables such as spinach, kale and collard greens.
Nuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts and hazel nuts. Seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seed and sesame seed.
Fruits, avocado.Seafoods/fish, shellfish, shrimps, cray fish, oysters,
salmon and herring.
Oils, olive oil, wheat germ oil, sunflower oil,
grape seed oil, canola and corn oil.Vitamin A (beta carotene)
This is a fat soluble vitamin, a powerful antioxidant that operates optimally in the fat laden cell membrane. Vitamin A is required for vision and as an immune booster. It can also enhance skin health and acts as a protection against cancer and aging.
Sources of vitamin A include: vegetables - carrots, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, Mustard greens, Collard greens, Turnip greens, beet greens and broccoli. Other types of vegetables that are high in vitamin A are Romaine lettuce, pumpkin, sweet red, yellow and green peppers and peas.
Fruits that contain vitamin A are mango, paw paw (papaya), cantaloupe melon, dried apricots and squash.
Fish/seafoods sources of vitamin A are tuna, mackerel and oysters.
Let us now look at the role that vegetables, fruits and others play in balancing the pH of the body fluids and constipation.
In considering the role of the veggies, fruits, oils etc in balancing the pH of the body fluids, it is important to understand the characteristics of the different food types. The pH of the food before and after digestion tells a lot about the influence of the food on the pH of the tissues. Almost all the vegetables are alkaline and alkaline forming after digestion. This is because of their high content of such alkalizing minerals as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. These minerals, negative alkaline electrons, are usually available to neutralize the positive acidic protons. Depending on the amount of electrons present, the body fluid may become predominantly alkaline.
On the other hand, a lot of the fruits are acidic before digestion, but they become alkaline after they have been digested in the intestines. For example, the citric acid in lemon, makes it an acidic fruit, but after it has been digested, it is rendered alkaline. Lemon becomes alkaline after digestion because of its high level of the alkalizing minerals - potassium, magnesium and calcium.
Here now is a list of alkalizing vegetables and fruits, written in the order of the most alkalizing to the least.
Vegetables: asparagus, Barley grass, Collard greens, dandelion, spirulina, wheat grass, water cress and broccoli. Others are carrots, cauliflower, green beans, celery, lettuce, pumpkins, spinach, sweet potatoes, cucumber, aubergine, okra, onions, red/green cabbage, peas, white radish and lentils.
Fruits: cantaloupe melon, dates, grapes, figs, kiwi, lemon, lime mango, pear, papaya, pine apple and water melon. Other fruits in this category are apricot, apple, bananas, avocados, bell peppers, oranges, strawberries and tomatoes.
These vegetables and fruits, have certain other properties, apart from their content of the alkalizing minerals, that help in their function of neutralizing acid in the body. For example, parsley, is a known intestinal cleanser, a diuretic (increases urination) and a kidney cleanser. In all these roles, parsley, helps to rid the colon and kidneys of acidic wastes and toxins. Not only that, because it is a diuretic, parsley helps to speed up the elimination of wastes out of the body, through the urine. In the same vein, papaya (paw paw) is a healthy laxative which cleanses the colon and promotes stooling and by so doing, acidic wastes are quickly eliminated from the body.
This prevents acid waste accumulation and any damage that acid can bring upon the body. Moreover, water melon, is also a diuretic and a kidney cleanser, similar to parsley, but beyond that, it contains beta carotene, lycopene and vitamin C, all antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. Also, water melon is 92% water and high in fibre, a combination by which it prevents constipation.
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