The Bottom Line

Choose more vegetables and fruits. Go for color and variety—dark green, yellow, orange, and red.

It’s hard to argue with the health benefits of a diet rich in vegetables and fruits: Lower blood pressure; reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and probably some cancers; lower risk of eye and digestive problems; and a mellowing effect on blood sugar that can help keep appetite in check.  

Read more about vegetables and fruits and health.

Most people should aim for at least nine servings (at least 4½ cups) of vegetables and fruits a day, and potatoes don’t count. Go for a variety of kinds and colors of produce, to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. Best bets? Dark leafy greens, cooked tomatoes, and anything that’s a rich yellow, orange, or red color.

Try these delicious vegetable recipes:

• Asparagus with Warm Tarragon–Pecan Vinaigrette
• Asparagus Spears with Mandarin Orange
• Fresh Spinach with Sesame Seeds
• Green Beans with Dried Cherries
• Green Beans with Chili Garlic Sauce
• Kale with Caramelized Onions
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Roasted Beets with Balsamic Vinegar
• Roasted Balsamic Vegetables
• Ruby Chard Decorated with Itself
• Sauteed Rainbow Swiss Chard
• Spicy Broccolini with Red Pepper
• Sugar Snap Peas with Fresh Mint
• Tunisian Carrot Salad

Read why vegetables and fruits fill half of the Healthy Eating Plate, Harvard’s new guide to healthy eating.

Source: http://www.health.harvard.edu – Harvard School of Public Health

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Fruit and Vegetable Juice Concentrate Increases Skin Health

Study shows improvement in skin microcirculation, hydration, texture and structure

Press Release: NSA, LLC – Mon, Jan 9, 2012 8:00 AM EST

 

 MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Jan. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — A new study published in the January 2012 issue of Skin Pharmacology and Physiology* shows that the regular intake of fruit and vegetable concentrates can improve objective markers of skin health.  After twelve weeks, those taking the food supplement (Juice Plus+® Orchard Blend and Juice Plus+® Garden Blend; NSA, LLC, Collierville, Tenn. , USA) showed an increase in skin microcirculation, a process resulting in positive changes to the density, thickness and hydration of the skin.

Conducted in Germany by the Institute for Experimental Dermatology at the University of Witten-Herdecke, the study followed 52 middle-aged women for twelve weeks using a monocentric, double-blind placebo and randomized controlled design. Participants were given capsules of the concentrate or a placebo two times each day during the study period. Measuring skin density and thickness by ultrasound, measuring skin hydration by Corneometer ® and assessing transepidermal water loss and serum analysis for carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol, scientists found that microcirculation of the skin had increased (39%) at the end of twelve weeks in the active group. They also saw increased skin hydration (9%), thickness (6%) and density (16%) among those given the concentrate. The placebo group showed a decrease in microcirculation and a slight increase in skin density.

The process of microcirculation is responsible for circulating oxygen and nutrients to the skin. As the study demonstrates, the skin benefits from an optimal supply of nutrients and oxygen to facilitate skin cell metabolism, producing what is often visible skin improvements.

The study reinforces the importance of nutrition in maintaining healthy skin. Scientists have found that nutritional deficiencies have a strong correlation with skin disorders and negative changes in skin structure. Additionally, it is known that skin density and thickness decrease naturally during the aging process.

Although it is unknown if the aging process can be counteracted by micronutrients, the study demonstrates that the intake of a fruit and vegetable-based concentrate improves markers of overall skin health.  

*S. De Spirt, H. Sies, H. Tronnier, U. Heinrich: An Encapsulated Fruit and Vegetable Juice Concentrate Increases Skin Microcirculation in Healthy Women. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology 2012, 25: 2 – 8. The article is available online.

About NSA, LLC

NSA, LLC headquartered in Memphis, Tenn. , manufactures and markets Juice Plus+®. Juice Plus+® provides whole food-based nutrition in capsule and chewable forms. For more information, visit http://www.onlythebestjuiceplus.com.