Nutrition Game Changer? Cooked Yakima Veggies = No Heart Benefit
We've been lied to.
Our mothers have lied to us.
Once They're Cooked, They Lose Their Value
"Eat your vegetables, they're good for your heart", they said!
HA! Maybe not.
According to a report from United Press International, "Eating vegetables may not help protect you against heart disease, .... that's triggered strong reactions from critics."
The Yakima Valley is known for its fruits & vegetables. Farmers' markets from Prosser to Ellensburg feature great, healthy, delicious(?) fruit &veggies...BUT those vegetables may not do what we have been led to believe once we start to process and cook.
The analysis of the diets of nearly 400,000 British adults found that raw vegetables could benefit the heart, but not cooked vegetables. However, the researchers said any heart-related benefit from vegetables vanished altogether when they accounted for lifestyle factors such as physical activity, smoking, drinking, fruit consumption, red and processed meat consumption, and use of vitamin and mineral supplements.
Other Factors, Not Carrots, Get The Credit
The food scientists' discovery is rocking the conventional wisdom about the heart-protective value of those yellows, oranges, and greens when they concluded their study showed any impact was "very likely to be accounted for by bias ... related to differences in socioeconomic situation and lifestyle,"
The findings challenge a host of previous research showing that a plant-based diet is good for your heart and overall health, including a recent study showing that a young person could live an additional 13 years by eating more vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruit and nuts.
Adjust Expectations But Don't Quit On Veggies
SO is this a green light to take a pass on the greens? Not really, because nutrition experts say eating vegetables rich in fiber can help lower weight, and mitigate some of the factors known to contribute to heart disease.
The study was published Monday in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
LOOK: Food history from the year you were born
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