BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM | IMPROVE HEALTH | COMBAT DISEASES

 5 COMMONLY USED VEGETABLES THAT BOOST IMMUNE SYSTEM AND IMPROVE HEALTH 

Everything that exists, have some purpose. Similarly, everything that we consume effects our body. It may have positive effects on our body or it may damages our health. So, to maintain a better health condition would be our first priority to avoid daily life stresses. Here are some foods (vegetables) that prove to be best for your bodily and mind' health. These foods have proven medical benefits. 

1. BROCCOLI

Scientific name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
Broccoli belongs to the family Brassicaceae of Angiospermae. It was discovered about 2000 years ago in Italy. Since then it is used for its miraculous medicinal properties. Broccoli is full of nutrients which assign it such medicinal properties. These nutrients include minerals like potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and folate ions, vitamins like vit.A, vit.C, vit.E, phytochemicals include carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and many other polyphenols.
Due to these properties broccoli possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticancer and cardiovascular protective properties. Broccoli plays an significant role to prevent cold and boost immune system due to the presence of vitamin C. A chemical known as sulforaphane also has a vital role in preventing flu. Researches have shown that sulforaphane turns on antioxidant genes in human's immune cells, which then neutralises or destroy free radicals and prevent us from many diseases including flu, cancer and many other diseases. Read more

2. GINGER

Scientific name: Zingiber officinale
Ginger belongs to Lilianae family of plants. It is native to South-East Asia. It is a common kitchen spice and since its discovery it is used as medicinal plant.
Ginger is packed with nutrients essential to human body. It contain minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, sodium, copper and magnesium, vitamins include vit.B3 and B6 majorly, phytochemicals that are present in it include saponin, anthraquinones, phlobatannin and glycosides. These nutrients attribute ginger many medicinal and pharmaceutical properties which include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, antifungal, cardiovascular protective, anti-diabetic, anti-neurodegenerative and anti-obesity characteristics. Due to the presence of polyphenols like gingerols, shogaols etc , ginger helps to boost immune activity of body. These polyphenols also help to avoid nausea, different gastric problems, cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. Specifically, gingerol suppresses the tumor growth in small intestine and protect us from developing colorectal cancer.Read more
3. GARLIC 

Scientific name: Allium sativum
Garlic belongs to the lily family of plants. It is a bulb of the plant Allium sativum and consists of many individual cloves in a thin white layer (may be purple sometimes). Garlic was discovered about 3000 years ago. It is used almost in the entire world for centuries as a herbal medicine. It is also used in almost every cuisine around the globe. Garlic is fulfilled with substances that are compulsory for normal metabolic process of human body. It contain minerals like germanium, calcium, zinc, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, selenium and tellerium, vitamins include vit.A, B1, B2, B3 and C, sugars include glucose, fructose and galactose etc, Amino acids are Lysine, Histidine, Aspartic acid and many similar one. Sulfur compounds present in garlic include alliin, ajoene, allicin, DAS, DADS, DATS, S-allyl mercaptocysteine and many others. These sulfur compounds are the major components of garlic that attribute it vital medicinal properties. These properties include anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, neuro protective and vasoactive. The major anti-cancer and vasoactive ir cardiovascular protective compounds are allicin and S-allyl mercaptocysteine. Allicin doesn't exist in raw garlic, it is formed when garlic is cut or injured and alliin is converted into allicin. Read more

4. SPINACH 

Scientific name: Spinacia oleracea 

Spinach belongs to the family Chenopodiaceae. It is a green, leafy, annual, cool season vegetable. It is native to South-West Asia. It is believed that it was first cultivated by Arabs in Persia(Iran) about 2000 years ago. Then in 7th century it was introduced in China, and in Europe in 17th century and then throughout the world. Spinach has diversified uses in food, medicinal, beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. As it contains vital nutrients, therefore it have proven benefits on human health. The nutrients present in spinach include minerals like magnesium, manganese, iron, calcium, potassium, copper, phosphorus, zinc and selenium etc, vitamins include vit.A, B1, B2, B6, C, K and E, protein fibres, phytochemicals like carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and polyphenols like lignans, tannis, chlorophyll, glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid etc and fatty acids like omega 3 and also folate ions. These nutrients attribute important biological activities to spinach. These characteristics are skin protection, cardiovascular protection, neuro protection, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-diabetic and rapid recovery from injuries. Every nutrient present in spinach has a role in assigning these properties to it. But flavonoids (polyphenols) are the major anti-diabetic and anti-cancer agents in it. Vitamin C helps to combat flu and relevant diseases and vit.K1 helps in blood clotting. Read more

5. KALE 

Scientific name: Brassica olerace var. sabellica

Kale belongs to the Brassicaceae family of Angiosperms. It is a leafy, green, cruciferous vegetable. It was originated in Eastern Mediterranean and Asia about 2000 years ago. Kale contains large amount of essential nutrients, these include minerals like phosphorus, potassium, calcium, zinc and folate ions, vitamins like vitamin A, B, C and K. Vitamin A provides eye and bone health, vit.C aids to prevent cold, vit.K helps in blood clotting, vit.B helps in brain development.  It also contains phytochemicals like lutein, and zeaxanthin, and good fatty acids like omega 3 and alpha-lipoic acid. Due to the presence of these compounds kale plays a vital role in boosting immune activity and metabolic rate. It possess important characteristics as it is anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, neuro-protective, cardiovascular protective and anti-obesity. Most of the properties of kale are due to phytochemicals (polyphenols) present in it.