Skip Supplements, Not Salad Dressing

When I opened my farm share box this weekend, there was an explosion of green. In a few weeks, summer squash, melons and juicy tomatoes will make their way into the late-summer mix. It’s the best time of year to enjoy local, seasonal produce in Minnesota. 

At farmers markets—like the Centennial Lakes Farmers Market in Edina—Minnesota farmers offer produce fresh from the field, often untouched by herbicides and pesticides. Since the food is local, its carbon footprint is tiny. And it's exploding with nutrients.

Why are edible plants so good for you? It depends on the plant. 

Dark green vegetables like broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, kale, brussel sprouts and even parsley contain phylloquinone. This co-enzyme, also known as vitamin K1, is involved in blood clotting and bone metabolism. Vitamin K deficiencies may play a role in both osteoporosis and atherosclerosis. 

Since vitamin K1 is mostly found in plant tissue involved in photosynthesis (gathering energy from sunlight), more of it is found in the outer leaves of plants like brussel sprouts and cabbage than in the inner leaves, which haven’t seen the sun.

Interestingly, vitamin K is fat-soluble, which means your body can use it more efficiently if you consume it with a fat. In other words, don’t skip the salad dressing and olive oil, or you’ll miss out on some of the nutrients in your veggies.

Leafy green vegetables also contain folate, the naturally occurring form of folic acid, and calcium, both of which are essential to good health.

Cantaloupe and carrots are full of beta-carotene which is converted into vitamin A, or retinol in the body. While taking too many vitamin A supplements can be toxic, your body will only convert as much beta-carotene as it needs into retinol, so eating these foods is your best, safest source of vitamin A.

Beta-carotene is an anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants are chemicals that protect your body from molecules called free-radicals, and can actually repair some of the damage these harmful molecules do to your cells. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables could potentially help prevent diseases like cancer because of the anti-oxidants they contain.

It’s not an old wives tale that orange veggies, like carrots, are good for your eyes. Eating a diet high in carrots, cantaloupe and other orange produce appears to be essential to maintaining healthy eyes. Lutein, another antioxidant found in dark, leafy veggies like spinach and kale, also seems to play an important role in eye health. And there's always vitamin C, another important antioxidant found in a juicy slice of cantaloupe. 

Don’t forget the tomatoes! Some scientists believe that lycopene, the carotenoid, pigment that gives tomatoes and watermelon their bright red color, may help prevent some cancers—particularly prostate cancer—though more research needs to be done on the subject.

Of course, all the fruits and vegetables you consume provide your digestive tract with a perfect mixture of fiber, helping it function the way it should, and possibly preventing other diseases.

So next Thursday afternoon, grab your basket and head to the farmer’s market. Get your vitamins the way nature intended. And don’t forget the salad dressing!