VITAMINS AND MINERALS
Vitamins in fresh fruit and vegetables actually protect us against some 60 or more diseases, including the big killers, cancer and heart disease. Especially valuable are the vitamins known as antioxidants. This group is composed of beta-carotene (vitamin A) and vitamins C and E - the so called 'ACE' vitamins. They are found abundantly in plant foods. A recent discovery at Glasgow University in Scotland has identified another family of powerful antioxidants - flavonols, including lycopenes, found only in red fruits (eg tomatoes) and vegetables. Again, there are none in meat. The reason why antioxidants are so important is that they are our main defence against damaging molecules called free radicals, which play a major role in diseases related to aging. Free radicals are molecules that have become unbalanced by losing an electron. To try and regain their missing electron, these molecules crash around like back - alley muggers, trying to steal an electron from other molecules. This theft can create a chain reaction in which DNA - the human genetic blueprint - becomes damaged and begins to produce diseased cells, which can lead to cancer and other health catastrophes. |
High-temperature cooking - in particular, the frying or searing of meat - can damage our health. Researchers cooked beef burgers, bacon and soya burgers and found that both the beef burgers and bacon produced significant amounts of the most damaging free radicals while the soya burger produced virtually none. Antioxidants are the 'heroes' who neutralize the damaging free radicals, and so protect the body against diseases. Antioxidant vitamins are mainly found in fresh fruit and vegetables, and vegetarians and vegans usually eat much more fresh fruit and vegetables than meat eaters. This is one big reason why vegans are usually healthier and tend to live longer. To assure yourself an ample supply of these valuable vitamins, be sure that you eat a reasonably varied diet and don't live on chips and sweets! Eat a variety of foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals (eg whole grain bread, brown rice, wholemeal pasta), all types of beans, as well as healthy snacks such as your favourite nuts, seeds or dried fruits.
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Some of the most notable vitamins and minerals include:
Vitamin A Vegetarians and vegans get plenty of vitamin A from eating foods containing beta-carotene- in fact it's almost impossible to become deficient in this vitamin these days! We convert beta-carotene into vitamin A in our bodies. Beta-carotene is found in green vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli and watercress etc) as well as red and orange vegetables (carrots, yams, sweet potatoesetc) - and as we've seen, it protects you from several diseases. |
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Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
A daily source of this vital vitamin is required - easily available from foods fortified with it. Vegetarians get B12 from free-range eggs and dairy. Vegans need to obtain cobalamin from eating B12-fortified foods, suck as breakfast cereals, margarines, nutritional yeast (eg Marmite) and soya milk. Vitamin B12 from fortified foods is better absorbed than the B12 from meat, poultry and fish. |
Vitamin C
As with almost all vitamins, vegetarians and vegans get more of this from their diet than do meat eaters. You'll find high amounts in fresh oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, strawberries, green peppers and other fruit and vegetables. Again, it's not in meat. |