WE all know that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is the key to good health. The British Heart Foundation estimates 15,000 deaths from heart disease and stroke could be prevented each year if we all hit our five-a-day target and the World Cancer Research Fund says another 7,000 people could be spared cancer diagnosis.
Produce which is stored for long periods loses some of its nutritional value. So to ensure you have a variety of quality fruit and vegetables eat with the seasons. Here’s our guide.
JANUARY
At their best: Bramley apples, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, leeks, lemons, parsnips, pears, salsify, swede, sweet potatoes, turnips.
Health benefits: Sprouts contain sinigrin which protects against tumours. Researchers found they halved the risk of bladder cancer. Cauliflower cuts the risk of prostate cancer by 50 per cent, claims the US National Cancer Institute.
FEBRUARY
At their best: Bramley apples, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, leeks, lemons, parsnips, purple sprouting broccoli, swede, sweet potatoes, turnips.
Health benefits: Apples lower cholesterol, reduce hardening of arteries and protect against heart disease, according to a report in the Journal of Medicinal Food. Jerusalem artichokes and chicory boost friendly bacteria in the gut. Turnips and kale contain indole-3-carbinol, which protects against blood cancers leukaemia and lymphoma.
Green vegetables
MARCH
At their best: Cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, lemons, parsnips, purple sprouting broccoli, spring greens, sweet potatoes, turnips.
Health benefits: Cabbage and spring greens contain diindolylmethane, which has anti-cancer properties. US scientists are running trials to see if it can prevent breast cancer. Members of the onion family are rich in allicin which lowers blood pressure and reduces fatty deposits in arteries which can contribute to cardiovascular disease.
APRIL
At their best: Cauliflower, celeriac, chicory, cucumber, Jerusalem artichoke, leeks, lemons, purple sprouting broccoli, sorrel, spinach, spring greens, watercress.
Health benefits: Purple sprouting broccoli has high levels of sulforaphane, which has such a strong anti-cancer action scientists believe it could form the basis of new treatments. Sorrel is a source of lutein and zeaxanthin which cut odds of macular degeneration.
MAY
At their best: Apricots, asparagus, gooseberries, lamb’s lettuce, lettuce, peas, radish, raspberries, rhubarb, sorrel, spinach, spring greens, strawberries, watercress.
Health benefits: Beta-carotene in apricots protects against memory loss and dementia. Studies show people who eat four or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables high in this also reduce their risk of heart disease and cancer.
Fruit and vegetables
JUNE
At their best: Apricots, asparagus, aubergine, courgettes, fennel bulbs, globe artichoke, gooseberries, lamb’s lettuce, lettuce, peas, radish, raspberries, sorrel, spinach, spring greens, strawberries, tomatoes, watercress.
Health benefits: Raspberries and strawberries contain high levels of ellagic acid, shown to slow cancer and be particularly effective against liver cancer. Berries contain carotenoids and vitamins A, C and E, which reduce macular degeneration.
JULY
At their best: Apricots, asparagus, aubergine, beetroot, blackcurrants, blueberries, broad beans, cherries, courgettes, fennel bulbs, globe artichoke, gooseberries, lamb’s lettuce, lettuce, peaches, peas, radish, raspberries, redcurrants, samphire, sorrel, spinach, strawberries, Swiss chard, tomatoes, watercress.
Health benefits: Nitrates in beetroot lower blood pressure and could be an inexpensive treatment for hypertension. One-in-four adults suffer from high blood pressure, a major factor in coronary heart disease and strokes. Beetroot juice boosts energy and stamina.
AUGUST
At their best: Apricots, aubergine, beetroot, blackberries, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, celery, cherries, courgettes, fennel bulbs, figs, globe artichoke, gooseberries, lamb’s lettuce, lettuce, peaches, peas, plums, radish, raspberries, redcurrants, samphire, sorrel, spinach, strawberries, sweetcorn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, watercress.
Health benefits: Anthocyanins in cherries reduce oxidative stress and may ease inflammation and pain in arthritis. Scientists found these chemicals prevent muscle pain and exercise risks.
SEPTEMBER
At their best: Apricots, aubergine, blackberries, beetroot, blueberries, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, celeriac, celery, courgettes, damsons, fennel bulbs, figs, globe artichoke, gooseberries, kale, lamb’s lettuce, leeks, lettuce, parnsips, peaches, pears, peas, plums, radish, raspberries, redcurrants, sorrel, spinach, strawberries, sweetcorn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, watercress.
Health benefits: Apigenin in celery targets molecules which fuel inflammation and play a part in some cancers. Cancer Research UK is investigating whether a chemical in broccoli can prevent pre-cancerous changes in the cervix from developing into full cancer.
Vegetables
OCTOBER
At their best: Aubergine, beetroot, blackcurrants, Bramley apples, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, celery, cranberries, damsons, figs, globe artichoke, gooseberries, kale, lamb’s lettuce, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, peaches, pears, peas, plums, pumpkin, quince, radish, salsify, swede, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip.
Health benefits: Pumpkins are a source of acid which lowers fats associated with heart disease. Studies suggest pumpkins also promote wound healing and reduce skin damage from the sun.
NOVEMBER
At their best: Beetroot, Bramley apples, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, celery, clementines, cranberries, cauliflower, damsons, dates, figs, globe artichoke, gooseberries, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, lamb’s lettuce, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, peaches, pears, peas, plums, pumpkin, quince, rhubarb, salsify, swede, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnip.
Health benefits: Kale and chard are high in nutrients. A serving of either delivers around three times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K to prevent osteoporosis.
Organic vegetables
DECEMBER
At their best: Beetroot, Bramley apples, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, celery, clementines, cranberries, damsons, dates, globe artichoke, gooseberries, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, peaches, pears, plums, pumpkin, quince, salsify, swede, sweet potatoes, turnip.
Health benefits: Dates contain vitamins for a healthy nervous system and lower cancer risk, plus acids which help blood sugar levels. Clementines are a source of immune-boosting vitamins and plums contain isatin, investigated as a treatment for Parkinson’s.
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Most of us would like to have dewy glowing skin – especially as we get older.
The good news is you don’t have to wait until summer to catch some sun rays.
Scientists have found eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is by far the best way to achieve a healthy, golden glow. And it will make you more attractive to the opposite sex as well.
Lead researcher Dr Ian Stephen, from the University of Bristol said: ‘Most people in the West think that the best way to improve your skin colour is to get a suntan.
‘But our research shows that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is actually more effective.’
The team, working at a laboratory at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, first assessed the skin colour of people in relation to their diet.
Those who ate more portions of fruit and vegetables a day were found to have a more golden, yellow skin colour.
They then used a scientific instrument called a spectrophotometer to measure the way that measured the way that light in different parts of the spectrum is absorbed by the skin.
This revealed that those with a healthy glow had a higher presence of carotenoids, which are yellow and red antioxidants thought to play a role in the immune system and fertility.
Carotenoids are commonly found in fruit and vegetables such as yellow and red peppers, spinach, apricots and melons.
The team then studied the relation between skin tone and attractiveness.
They used specialist computer software to manipulate the skin colour on the images of 51 faces to simulate more and less carotenoids and more and less suntan.
Participants were then asked to adjust the skin colour to make the faces look as healthy as possible.
Given the choice between skin colour enhanced by suntan and skin colour enhanced by carotenoids, participants preferred the carotenoid skin colour.
‘Our study shows that not only do people use colour cues to judge how healthy other individuals are, but they are accurate when they make those judgements,’ said Professor Perrett, who heads the St Andrew’s Perception Lab.
‘This is important because evolution would favour individuals who choose to form alliances or mate with healthier individuals over unhealthy individuals.’
While this study focused on Caucasian faces, the paper referred to a study that suggests this phenomenon may exist across cultures, since similar preferences for skin yellowness were found in an African population.
The study suggests a striking similarity between humans and other animals.
For example, the bright yellow beaks and feathers of many birds can be thought of as adverts showing how healthy a male bird is.
Females of these species prefer to mate with more brightly coloured males. This bright colouration in birds is caused by the same antioxidant carotenoids that drive the effect in humans.
‘The bright yellow ornaments of birds demonstrate that the bearer has such a strong immune system and healthy reproductive system that he has plenty of these valuable antioxidant carotenoids left over to use in ornaments to advertise himself to females,’ said Dr Stephen.
‘Our work suggests that the carotenoid colouration of human skin may represent a similar advertisement of health and fertility.’
Eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables gives you a healthy golden glow, say scientists.
Their research has shown that men and women whose skin has a yellow glow are thought to be particularly attractive and healthy – and yellow pigments called carotenoids, found in certain fruit and vegetables play a key role in giving the skin that hue.
Study”s co-author Ian Stephen said that just two months of increased consumption could produce visible results.
It could lead to new strategies for encouraging the young to eat more fruit and vegetables, he said.
“Telling people they might have a heart attack in 40 years” time if they don”t eat more healthily is one thing,” the Daily Mail quoted him as telling The Grocer magazine.
“What we can do is say, “This is what you could look in a couple of months if you increased your fruit and veg intake”,” he added.
As part of the study by St Andrews and Bristol universities, 40 volunteers rated 51 Scottish Caucasian faces for healthiness and attractiveness.