“Vegetables can ward off colon cancer”

Osteoporosis and colon cancer are some of the health risks faced by those who do not include vegetables and fruits in their daily diet.

Malaysian Nutrition Society president DR. Tee E Siong said fruits and vegetables were high in minerals and fibre, and important for bodily functions and metabolic process.

~anatomy of colon~

~bowman capsule (kidney)~

“Many Malaysians do not know the importance of eating ‘greens’. Lack of fibre may effect bowel movement, which will increase the risk of colon cancer, while vitamins and mineral deficiency will disrupt metabolism.

“For those who don’t drink milk, substitute it with leafy vegetables as they contain calcium to help reduce the risk of osteoporosis,”

The World Health Organization states that one has to consume two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables daily. The Health Ministry recently highlighted 92 percent of the population did not include vegetables and fruits in their daily diet, which had led to a rise in non-communicable disease, such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, colon cancer and osteoporosis as they grow older.

Statistic showed that every other Malaysian was either overweight or obese, one out of five was diabetic, and one in three had hypertension and high cholesterol.

Dr. Tee advised Malaysians to include fruits and vegetables in different forms and colours.

“Different coloured vegetables and fruits contain different anti-oxidants, which the body requires,”

He said often parents overlook the need to instill in their children the habit of eating vegetables and fruits.

He urged parents to be creative when serving fruits and vegetables as children do not like the bitter taste of vegetables.

“This is crucial as children who do not eat healthily, would carry on the habit as they grow older and this created an unhealthy nation in the long-run.

~prime news, (pg 11), Tuesday, December 20,2011. New Straits Time.