Risk of every chronic disease is lower if plenty of vegetables and fruit are in the diet. New research identifies reduced psychological distress with higher vegetable and fruit consumption. Why is that? Of course, they contain plenty of essential nutrients like Vitamin C and B vitamins. But that’s not where the magic is. The magic is in the phytochemicals that aren’t exactly essential for life but are absolutely necessary for a healthy life.

Why are phytochemicals so effective? They reduce inflammation, a primary driver of chronic disease. They influence cell signaling and genetic expression. Phytochemicals support immune health. Non-digestible fibers are critical for a healthy gut microbiome. And it is quite interesting that among cancer patients receiving immunotherapy, those who consume a high fiber plant focused diet are more likely to respond to the immune therapy.

How much do we need? It would be pretty tough to eat too much vegetables and fruit. The minimum is 5 servings of vegetables and fruit not including starchy vegetables or fruit juice. The biggest health benefits come from eating leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach) and fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and beta carotene (citrus, berries, carrots). There is nothing wrong with starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes but they shouldn’t make up the bulk of your vegetable choices. Fruit juice is just sugar in disguise. The emphasis should be on vegetables.
Many of the phytochemicals we want in our diet are the compounds producing the color in plants. I’m sure the concept of eating the rainbow is not new to you. What are the colors? Blue/purple, red, yellow/orange, green, white. Each contains different phytochemical with different benefits. We are most often lacking blue/purple colors.

So for your physical and mental health, eat vegetables and fruit. This week instead of counting the number of vegetables and fruits, count the number of different colors a day. It should be 5, one from each color category. The number should be 35!