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Fruits and Vegetables for Disease Prevention

Fruits and Vegetables for Disease Prevention

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is not only important for maintaining a healthy weight and general health, but it can help prevent chronic diseases and conditions, including:

Cardiovascular Disease

Heart disease is the world’s leading killer. All fruits and vegetables are good choices for the prevention of heart disease and stroke, but the best choices are green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits.

High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol

High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. How fruits and vegetables lower cholesterol is still a bit of a mystery. However, some experts think that the soluble fiber in them helps block the absorption of cholesterol from other foods.

Cancer

It appears that eating more fruit may lower the risk of cancers of the esophagus, stomach and lungs, and reduces the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, colon-rectum, larynx, kidney and bladder.

Gastrointestinal Conditions

Indigestible fiber that comes from fruits and vegetables is important for preventing intestinal ailments. As fiber passes through the digestive system, it soaks up water and expands. This can calm irritable bowels and decrease pressure inside the intestinal tract.

Cataracts and Macular Degeneration

Usually related to aging, a cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye’s lens. Macular degeneration is damage to the center of the retina. Dark green leafy vegetables contain two pigments (lutein and zeaxanthin) that aid in protecting the eye. And the vitamin A found in carrots, cantaloupe and pumpkin aids in night vision.

Birth Defects

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are major defects of a baby’s brain or spine. Folate (folic acid) is a B vitamin used in the body to make new cells. Most NTDs can be prevented if a woman has enough of this in her body before becoming pregnant. Folic acid is found in asparagus, cooked spinach and certain fortified breakfast cereals.

Other diseases and conditions that can be prevented are coronary artery disease and osteoporosis, as well as dental problems and skin infections. The next time you get hungry, consider eating a fruit or vegetable.

Fruits and Vegetables for Disease Prevention

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Emergency Room or Urgent Care?

More than 10 percent of all emergency room visits could have been better addressed in either an urgent care facility or a doctor’s office. If you’re suddenly faced with symptoms of an illness or injury, how can you determine which facility is most appropriate for your condition?

The Emergency Room (ER)

Emergency rooms are equipped to handle life-threatening injuries and illnesses and other serious medical conditions. An emergency is a condition that may cause loss of life or permanent or severe disability if not treated immediately. You should go directly to the nearest emergency room if you experience any of the following:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Severe abdominal pain following an injury
  • Uncontrollable bleeding
  • Confusion or loss of consciousness, especially after a head injury
  • Poisoning or suspected poisoning
  • Serious burns, cuts or infections
  • Inability to swallow
  • Seizures
  • Paralysis
  • Broken bones

Patients at the emergency room are sorted, or triaged, according to the seriousness of their condition. For example, a patient with severe injuries from a car accident would likely be seen before a child with an ear infection, even if the child was brought in first.

Those who go to the ER with relatively minor injuries or illnesses often have to wait more than an hour to be seen, depending on the severity of the other patients’ conditions. Often they could have been seen more quickly at an urgent care facility.

Urgent Care

Urgent care centers are usually located in clinics or hospitals, and, like emergency rooms, offer after-hours care. Unlike emergency rooms, they are not equipped to handle life-threatening situations. Rather, they handle conditions that require immediate attention—those where delaying treatment could cause serious problems or discomfort.

Some examples of conditions that require urgent care are these:

  • Ear infections
  • Sprains
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Vomiting
  • High fever

Urgent care centers are usually more cost-effective than ERs for these conditions. In addition, the waiting time in urgent care centers is usually much shorter. Choosing the appropriate place of care can not only ensure prompt medical attention but will also help reduce any unnecessary expenses.

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